SALVATION 
LIGHT 



H. H. PETERS 




Class __SR_i21 
Book _3 



Copyright N 



COPYKIGIIT DEFOSIT. 



Salvation Light 



BY 



H. H. PETERS, 
A Railroad Conductor. 




Pentecostal Publishing Company, 

Publishers 

Louisville, Ky. 






COPYRIGHTED 1915 
BY 
H. H- PETERS, 
NEWTON. KANSAS. 



4r. 



trt 



FEB 10 1916 

' A 4 1 N 7 7 5 



I 



r 



DEDICATION. 

This book is dedicated to the human race. Its 
object is to show the sinner a better way, and 
urge believers to live a holy life and be faithful 
unto death. 



CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER I. 

PAGE. 

Seven Epochs 9 

CHAPTER II. 
Pure and Undented Religion 24 

CHAPTER III. 
Miscellaneous 31 

CHAPTER IV. 
Three Things 37 

CHAPTER V. 
Four Things. (Rejected of Men, Pure Hearts, 
Understanding, Beautiful Scenes) 45 

CHAPTER VI. 
Sin 54 

CHAPTER VII. 
The Christian Life 61 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Church Membership 70 



CHAPTER IX. 
The Word of God 79 

CHAPTER X. 
The Mind of Christ 87 

CHAPTER XI. 
The Holy Ghost 107 

CHAPTER XII. 

Praising God and Keeping Sweet 115 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Why Jesus Came 119 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Contending For the Faith 123 

CHAPTER XV. 
Corner Stones 135 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Leadership 149 

CHAPTER XVII. 
The Second Coming 170 



PREFACE. 

In writing this bodk on Salvation Light 
I first desire to thank my heavenly Father who 
has thus honored me by allowing His Holy Spirit 
to impart to my mind some precious truths and 
made these writings possible. And I believe God 
intends to use these messages here and there in 
drawing some precious souls heavenward. I am 
only a common railroad man without much educa- 
tion ; a layman in the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
having been granted a local preacher's license, not 
because I merited it through the regular course 
under which local preachers receive their license, 
but for the reason God has seen fit to give me 
talent along the line of scripture memorizing and 
quoting. I believe these writings will be appre- 
ciated best by ordinary folks who may not have 
any more book learning than myself, and espec- 
ially by those in the Kingdom of grace. Never- 
theless we believe that men and women, boys and 
girls in all conditions of life can find something 
on these pages that will help them to better things 
if they will only follow the promptings of God's 
Spirit and are true to their own best interests. 
I have met with many people who have been a 
help to me and a blessing to my soul. Again his- 
tory, both sacred and profane, tells us of an in- 
numerable company of faithful men and women, 

6 



boys and girls, who have gone on before. Never- 
theless, while they now rest from their labors we 
have become partakers of good things they estab- 
lished, and we in turn must be true to God and 
faithful to our trust if we expect to benefit our 
own generation and be an inspiration to the un- 
born multitudes to come. 

As I look back over my own life I cannot help 
but speak of some folks who have been a great 
blessing to me, and that is a godly father and a 
saintly mother who taught me the way of eternal 
life through our Lord Jesus Christ. Others who 
have pushed me out in divine things and who 
helped me are not a few, but I desire to mention 
some who seemed to take a special interest in me 
and they are Rev. R. E. Gilmore, Rev. Dugal Mc- 
Cormack, Rev. Wm, Posey and Rev. Will H. Huff. 
There are others just as worthy but these men 
ought to have a place in this preface and God 
bless them abundantly in the work of the King- 
dom. 

Let me say in conclusion, if these writings do 
not appeal to you, pass it on to some one else. 
Perhaps somebody in your reach would be made 
glad by reading it and help them to Jesus Christ 
and eternal life. Amen. 

Yours in the faith, 

H. H. Peters. 



SALVATION LIGHT. 



CHAPTER I. 

Seven Epochs. 

When a lad of ten years old, my mother was 
taken away. It was on a Christmas morn. Be- 
fore she closed her eyes in death she bade us 
good-bye; her last words to me were, "be a good 
boy/' As far as I can remember, my mother lived 
a holy life. She seemed perfectly contented to 
go and be with her Lord, was conscious to the 
last and spoke about eternal things. I saw her 
eyes as they turned glassy and then she breathed 
her last. They laid her in a plain coffin and took 
her to the church house. The choir sang and the 
minister spoke such comforting words. We took 
one long look at mother's face, but she had gone 
to henceforth live in a dwelling not made with 
hands, eternal in the heavens. They laid her in 
the grave, the clods of earth rolled down and fell 
hard on the wooden box, the minister said some 
more words, it was all over, but thank God for the 
memory of a saintly mother, who taught me the 
way of life and who always had a kind word and 
was willing to extend a helping hand to those in 
sorrow and distress. Dear mother, who may read 

9 



10 SALVATION LIGHT. 

these lines, are you living right and honoring God 
in such a way that your children can look back in 
the years to come and bless God for a mother who 
not only looked after their temporal needs, but 
also taught them the way of eternal life through 
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? 

My father being very poor, hired out to a cou- 
sin living on a farm. My two sisters worked out 
by the week. A few years later, I too, hired out 
on a farm. After I had been working a number 
of days, I got real homesick to see my father. He 
had always been so good to me. He then lived in 
a little two-roomed house; there wasn't any car- 
pet on the floor, no fine pictures on the wall. I 
do not remember we even had a rocking chair, 
but oh, how homesick to see my father. The first 
chance I got I walked home, and how glad he was 
to see me and how comforting for me to be with 
him. But months run into years. I was home 
most of the time until I was nineteen, but sorry 
to say, every now and then I would cause him 
trouble. I was not a Christian and greatly 
troubled with my temper. I would fly all to pieces 
and how this must have hurt his tender and lov- 
ing heart. 

When about seventeen I began to smoke and 
tell lies and soon learned to swear at a rapid 
rate. You need not wonder what kind of com- 
pany 1 was keeping, for it was the roughest of the 
town. I learned to drink whiskey and attended 



SALVATION LIGHT. 11 

Sunday night dances. At the age of nineteen I 
hired out as a brakeman on the Illinois Central 
Railroad. 

After working awhile I had a railroad acci- 
dent and was partly to blame for it. I lied to the 
trainmaster and was severely reprimanded, but 
not discharged. I talked back and used impudent 
language, and was discharged for improper con- 
duct. I started west and secured a similar posi- 
tion with another company. A few years later 
took sick with typhoid fever, and while in this con- 
dition I received a telegram stating that my fath- 
er was ill and not expected to recover. I desired 
very much to see him once more, but he died and 
was no more, for the Lord took him. A year of 
more before this took place, I had "turned over a 
new leaf" and determined to live a better life. 
My early teaching at home never left me. The 
last time I bade my father good-bye, he turned to 
me and said, "I want you to pray." He said it so 
kindly and I remember how sad his face looked 
and how his heart must have yearned for my sal- 
vation. When I was about sixteen years old, a 
rich man had a mortgage on some of father's 
horses. He only had enough to do the work. The 
mortgage came due and the rich man foreclosed 
the mortgage. Father only wanted a little more 
time and hoped to pay the debt, but the rich man 
would not wait, and took a fine colt, and this made 
me angry. I resolved I would burn down the 



12 SALVATION LIGHT. 

man's barn and had the night set. My father 
heard what I was about to do and when the night 
came, somehow I did not go near the barn. Father 
told me afterward that he prayed for me all night. 
He had confidence in God. He did not threaten 
or try to punish me, but took it all to his heavenly 
Father. He had learned the secret of depending 
on God. Surely the effectual, fervent prayer of 
a righteous man availeth much. 

After he was dead and buried I realized he 
had something in his heart I wanted. I was sick 
a number of weeks, but all the time had good 
treatment and my life was greatly cheered and 
helped by a fine young lady who brought me 
many a cold drink of water, and saw to it that 
my needs were well supplied. Not at all strange 
that she became my wife before the year rolled 
by. We had not been married but a short time 
when a converted gambler came to our town to 
hold revival meetings. We both attended, and I 
was under awful conviction, but fought it off 
night after night. Near the close of the meeting 
my wife made a profession of religion and was 
baptized by immersion. All this time my soul 
in great distress. Another meeting started 
at the Methodist Church and we attended there. 
Finally, at the close of the meeting God seemed 
to give me a vision of my soul. I saw my poor 

nbling soul stand before the judgment seat 
of Christ and look me square in the face and say, 



SALVATION LIGHT. 13 

"I wanted to be saved, but you would not let me." 
This was too much for me and I broke down. I 
said to myself, "By the grace of God I will not 
let my will power damn my soul," and I got so 
contrite in spirit, that I was willing to go to any 
mourner's bench to find salvation. By this time 
the meeting had closed, but I settled it in my bed 
room, and God the Father for Jesus' sake, spoke 
pardon to my troubled heart. This was the first 
epoch in my Christian life, and His Holy Spirit 
gave witness to my spirit that I was a child of 
God. But one of my great troubles was. as I have 
already mentioned, cursing. I would utter many 
a secret prayer for God to keep me from forget- 
ting myself and let out an oath. And thank God, 
He helped me, the lying and swearing ceased. I 
now had an appetite for God's Word and loved the 
house of prayer. I remember I became very hun- 
gry to hear preaching. I went without my sup- 
per after a hard day's work in order to attend 
meetings. I was now reading my Testament and 
attending the means of grace as I had the oppor- 
tunity. 

After we had been married a little over a year, 
a baby girl came to our house. How sweet it all 
seemed. About this time the second epoch came 
in my Christian life. The Spirit of the Lord im- 
pressed me to start the family altar. I was now 
"on a run" where I could be home every night. 
One morning at the gate as I kissed my wife good- 



14 SALVATION LIGHT. 

bye, I told her about being impressed to start the 
family altar, and was so glad she said alright. 
That evening before going to bed, I got the Bible 
to read some Scripture. We had company and I 
remember how my voice trembled and how needy 
and weak I felt to pray in the presence of com- 
pany, but I am so glad I obeyed God and got vic- 
tory in my soul and am so glad the family altar is 
still burning. As children grow up and may wan- 
der away from home and away from God, there is 
something about a family altar they will never 
forget. 

I now seemed to be hungry and craving for 
more of the grace and love of God. I was reading 
here and there in God's word about holiness or 
sanctification (let me say here that I believe holi- 
ness begins in every truly regenerated heart) , but 
I did not understand it. However, that part of 
not understanding it is all plain to me now. I 
had listened to the invitations given, that all who 
wanted more love or a better experience, or enter 
into a higher life, to come to the altar. In obe- 
dience to the craving on the inside and the invita- 
tion from the outside, I would go to the altar, 
but never seemed to get to any definite place. But 
remember, I was a seeker, and remember too, that 
Jesus -aid, "He that seeketh findeth," and so I 
did not give up. I kept on seeking, received some 
light and my faith was greatly strengthened by a 
good old saint who passed to her reward a num- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 15 

ber of years ago. She told me some good things 
and instructed me >along the line of entire sanctifi- 
cation. All this time the Holy Spirit was leading 
me and the blessing was sure to come my way. 

It happened about June, 1896, on Sunday 
morning in the town of Purcell, Oklahoma. I at- 
tended services at one of the Evangelical church- 
es. The brother preached, or rather read, a ser- 
mon on, "The Love of God." While the reading 
was good, yet it did not satisfy my hungry heart. 
I made up my mind to attend some other church 
in the evening. I saw a little white church over 
the hillside, and as I came close to it, I saw a man 
on the outside dressed something like a priest. 
He had ocn a short, black coat, black cravat, 
smooth face and really looked to me like a Cath- 
olic priest. But I made up my mind to step in. 
Just then, he gave me his hand and bade me 
welcome. His name was B. S. Taylor, and if he 
lives he should read this book. I want to thank 
him once more for taking me by the hand and 
welcoming me to the service. The regular pas- 
tor was a young looking man, smooth face and 
large blue eyes. He, too, said he was glad to have 
me come. Under such a hearty welcome I step- 
ped inside and took a seat. The meeting soon 
opened and the Spirit of the Lord was present. 
My soul got warmed and blessed. A testimony 
meeting soon followed and I was eager to speak 
and told the audience how God had blessed my 



16 SALVATION LIGHT. 

soul since 1 had come into the meeting. After 
a while the evangelist made a test and wanted all 
those who knew they had been converted to stand 
up. It was no trouble for me to stand, for I knew 
I had passed from death unto life and had the 
witness of the Spirit that I was a child of God. 
He then had us sit down and said, "Now you folks 
that have been sanctified stand up." I knew that 
I had never had the experience and so I sat still. 
Possibly a dozen or more people stood up and they 
seemed to have no fear or hesitancy to stand. 
They then sang a hymn to the tune of the old Irish 
song (The Wearing of the Green), the sermon 
followed and as near as I can remember, he 
preached on "Hell" and fairly raised the shingles 
off the roof. The sermon ended and the invita- 
tion was given for seekers to come to the altar. 
I felt my time had come, I must not delay, and 
so I marched up and knelt down seeking the ex- 
perience of a clean heart. Brother Taylor soon 
led me out to seek it by consecration and faith, 
and the Holy Ghost wonderfully cleared my vis- 
ion and I soon saw the light, not by feeling nor 
by works ; nor by death, or growth ; but I zvas to 
believe God and receive it by faith. I said yes to 
God and was given the witness that the work was 
done. 

Up until this time I had no feeling but 
just told the congregation that God had sanctified 
my heart. This was on Sunday night. I arrived 



SALVATION LIGHT. 17 

home on Tuesday morning early and went to bed. 
I got up about noon or a little later and was sit- 
ting out in the yard talking to some folks that 
had come to call on us, when all of a sudden my 
whole spirit, soul and body were permeated with 
the love of God. The tears came to my eyes and 
salvation flowed from my soul and the folks could 
not understand what had happened, but I knew. 
All glory to His name ! If I were to live here up- 
on earth for centuries to come, I would never for- 
get how the fire fell when the Lord sanctified me. 
But testing times were in store for me. Up 
until this time I knew very little about the Script- 
ures, even though I had been reading them. I did 
not know that Daniel had prophesied that in the 
last days many shall be purified and made white 
and tried. But I hung on, the feeling had gone 
and I had the lesson to learn that the Christian 
must live by faith. I got it by faith and the Holy 
Ghost wonderfully filled me, but now I must live 
by faith and trust God every step of the way. 
I did not hear very much real definite holiness 
preaching. I did not know anything about the 
holiness movement until several years later, I got 
some knowledge concerning its object and work. 
Notwithstanding how God had blessed me I after- 
ward fell in error concerning the carnal mind or 
inbred sin, and at one time I even fell from grace. 
But I hurriedly got back to God ; my class leader 
and some of the spiritual people of the church 



18 SALVATION LIGHT. 

held me up to the Throne of Grace, and how glad 
1 am they did help me and pray for me. How 
glad 1 am the Holy Ghost fairly pulled me back 
to the Father's house and the Father forgave my 
wrong and applied the all cleansing blood, and 
has established my heart and cleared my mind, 
and gives me victory in my soul. I write these 
things in order that I may help some one who may 
have had similar experience, or may even now be 
discouraged. But since God is so merciful and 
full of compassion, and since He so freely for- 
gives His regenerated child that comes to Him 
having done some wrong, ought His sanctified 
child entertain any doubt or stay away since the 
Father is only watching and waiting to welcome 
him back too? 

The fourth epoch came in my life a year or so 
after my sanctification. I felt and was impressed 
to give the Lord a tenth of my income. Again, I 
mentioned the matter to my good wife and like all 
women ought to do, she consented. We thought 
the matter over, and as my next pay day was not 
a full one, that is a little short on account of not 
working all month, we hesitated just when to be- 
gin, but we soon got straightened out and con- 
cluded to start the first pay day. I want to tell 
you reader, it was the best pay day I ever had. 
It seemed God smiled upon my soul, and the pay 
days have been many since I said "yes" to God 
and started to give the tenth. If we will only 



SALVATION LIGHT. 19 

give God a chance, no telling what He will do. 
One thing we do know, that He has promised that 
if we bring all the tithes into the storehouse, He 
will open up the windows of Heaven and pour 
out such a blessing that there shall not be room 
enough to receive it, and that is one reason the 
holiness people are talking so much about the sec- 
ond blessing. This second blessing is such a big 
thing. It simply fills up everything you have and 
runs over, and that is one thing the devil doesn't 
like — this running over business. We have men- 
tioned it both in public and in private that there 
are two things necessary for the effectual work 
and spreading of the gospel. They are full sal- 
vation and the giving of the tenth. Full salva- 
tion means freedom from sin, and the giving of 
the tenth means plenty of money to run the finan- 
cial side of the business of our Lord and Savior 
Jesus Christ. 

Again, the fifth epoch came in my life a few 
years later when a wonderful desire came over 
me to memorize Scripture. I made up my mind 
to memorize a verse each day, and started in with 
the Gospel of Matthew. I would read one chap- 
ter a day and then memorize a verse in each chap- 
ter. Now and then I would skip a chapter as 
nothing in it seemed to impress itself on my mind. 
To memorize, and then again in order to drink 
in the thought of the writer, I would have to mem- 
orize more than one, perhaps eight or ten verses. 



20 SALVATION LIGHT. 

I took to memorizing chapters ; you see the thing 
kept growing upon me until my mind became the 
dwelling place of many beautiful verses of Script- 
ure. (Let me say here that I do not remember 
of memorizing any Scripture but what I first 
prayed the Holy Ghost to lead me and write it on 
my mind). Of course, I soon began quoting 
Scripture at the class meetings and at prayer 
meetings. I soon got to lining up Scriptures in 
my mind and classifying them. The next thing 
I would take a verse of Scripture and weave the 
Scriptures around it the best I knew how. At 
last, the Lord seemed to say to me, "I have given 
you all this Scripture, now what are you going to 
do with it?" I realized He wanted me to use and 
preach it. 

Hence the sixth epoch came into my Christian 
life. When the impression came over me to 
preach the Word, while I did not feel called into 
the ministry, and for some time afterwards was 
not clear just what the will of the Lord was, but 
I hung on and finally got settled in the matter, 
that He wanted to use me on certain occasions a 
kind of "extra man," as we would say in railroad 
circles. You see the Lord knew I didn't know 
very much, but He could work me in here and 
there, now and then, and that would help me and 
please Him and work out all right in the end. My 
first opportunity to preach came several years 
ago. My friend and brother, R. E. Gilmore, was 



SALVATION LIGHT. 21 

conducting a revival in his own church, having 
with him two co-workers. I was at the meeting 
one Saturday night, he made the announcements 
and said, "There would be a meeting Sunday af- 
ternoon, but he did not know just what kind of a 
meeting it would be or who would lead it." I 
felt impressed to speak to him and the following 
morning I opened up my heart and asked him to 
let me have the afternoon hour. But he finally 
concluded ( I should have the evening hour. Of 
course the house was packed, preachers on the 
platform and preachers in the pew. I got up on 
the platform to preach. I had never stood in 
such a place before. I felt so awkward. I knew 
nothing of manners and gestures and eloquence, 
although I had seen a good deal of it, but I was 
"green" and did not know how to handle myself. 
I hurried through the best I could and finally quit, 
feeling I had disappointed both pulpit and pew. 
Of course they thought I would say something 
about railroading but I did not even mention a 
street car line. Well, after it was all over I felt 
I had made a failure and hoped the people would 
forgive me. But you know, I had to start some- 
where. 

I retired late that night and had a dream. It 
was not a long one, but I will never forget it. I 
dreamed I was with the angel of the Lord ; he was 
by my shoulders and seemed to push me forward. 
The scene around us was that of a battle ground 



22 SALVATION LIGHT. 

and he handed me a slip of paper, across the face 
of it was written the figures 40,000. He gave me 
to understand that he loved me and then left me. 
I woke up and he had gone. I do not know what 
it all meant, but perhaps some day in the sweet 
bye and bye I shall know and understand. At 
any rate I intend to obey God and walk in the 
light as* He may please to shed it across my path- 
way, and try and help some poor struggling hun- 
gry hearts into a better life. 

There is only one way to live a happy Chris- 
tian life, and that is, obey God at any cost. To 
receive lig J ht from the glory world is one thing, 
but to walk in the light is another. Jesus said, 
"If any man serve me, let him follow me; and 
where I am there shall also my servant be ; if any 
man serve me him will my Father honor." There 
are others all around me who may be able to do 
much more than I and in Whose presence I might 
seem as nothing, yet I am so glad I can have a 
little place in the workshop of my Lord and Mas- 
ter and do some little things, while others more 
able and blest are doing the big things and work- 
ing out the things I couldn't begin to do. So you 
see God has and is giving me something to do and 
any thoughtful person can see how God was lead- 
ing me step by step. For Holy Ghost conviction 
led to my conversion, my conversion led to the 
family altar; yes, to God and the family altar 
led to the experience of entire sanctification. En- 
tire sanctification revealed the temporal need of 



SALVATION LIGHT. 23 

the Kingdom and giving of the tenth. Next the 
great desire to memorize Scripture, the memoriz- 
ing of Scripture to the call to preach it, and this 
now brings me to the seventh epoch in my Chris- 
tian life. 

The writing of Salvation Themes and having 
them put in book form, having no other thought 
in mind but to glorify God and help my fellow 
man. And should this little book have something 
in it that has helped you or been a feast to your 
soul, first of all thank God and then if you desire 
to write me a word of cheer, why do so and that 
will help me. 

In conclusion let me call your attention to the 
need of real definite preaching and teaching. Do 
not "beat around the bush" and avoid using cer- 
tain scriptural terms because there may be some 
folks in your presence who may get offended, but 
remember the words of our Lord Jesus, for He 
said that "Whosoever is ashamed of me and my 
words of him will the Son of man be ashamed be- 
fore His Father and His holy angels." Second, 
when you realize your need, remember God is able 
and willing to supply your need, and do not stop 
until you get an answer from the skies. Hence, 
the need of real definite and earnest seeking, and 
when we get an answer to our seeking, a real defi- 
nite living and witnessing to what our Heavenly 
Father has done for us through the leadings of 
the Holy Ghost and the power of the shed blood 
of the Son of God. Amen. 



CHAPTER II. 
Pure and Undefiled Religion. 

Victory in your soul when you come to die 
will be worth more to you than money in your 
pocketbook. To be able to hold a clear title to 
lands and houses here is a comforting thought, 
especially when the physical man is unable to toil 
any more, but to be able to read our title clear to 
mansions in the skies is much better. 

If the mind of man can concentrate and make 
a success in temporal affairs, what doth hinder 
me from receiving the mind of Christ and make a 
success in eternal affairs. 

If "godliness is profitable unto all things, hav- 
ing the promise of the life that now is and of that 
which is to come," why not step out by faith, 
claim the promise and live a life of godliness. 

If God, the maker and creator of all things, 
has set up a standard for me to live by, why won't 
it be a good thing to die by? 

If "today is the day of salvation," and "Jesus 
Christ is the way, the truth and the life," don't 
you think it is dangerous for you to want your 
own way? If when God calls me to repentance 
and faith in Jesus Christ, and I responded to the 
rail and found peace and pardon in believing, why 
should I draw back when He calls me to consecra- 

24 



SALVATION LIGHT. 25 

tion and holiness, since it's the same loving God 
that is calling? 

If the Scriptures teach me that "all unright- 
eousness is sin/' and "the wages of sin is death," 
why should I want to continue in sin, take out my 
pay in death, when I might yield myself unto God, 
get rid of all unrighteousness and secure the gift 
of God — eternal life? 

If "it is appointed unto man once to die and 
after that the judgment," why not here and now 
prepare to meet death, have victory in your dy- 
ing hour and perfect love in your soul that will 
make you bold in the day of judgment? 

If "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God 
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 
correction, for instruction in righteousness that 
the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly fur- 
nished unto all good works/' why not take God 
at His word, have your soul-house equipped with 
heavenly furnishings, make you perfect in heart 
and willing and active in good works? 

If "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink 
but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy 
Ghost," why so much banqueting in the house of 
God and so little feasting in the Holy Ghost? 

If the word of God tells us to "cleanse our- 
selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, 
perfecting holiness in the fear of God," why not 
reverence God, throw away your tobacco, quit tell- 



26 SALVATION LIGHT. 

ing filthy stories, and help God to perfect you in 
Holiness? 

If we are to "watch and pray lest we enter 
into temptation, " why blame somebody else after 
you fall, when in the first place you did not watch 
and pray? 

If the keeping of God's commandments is not 
grievous, why should we grieve God by not keep- 
ing them and find fault with our children in not 
doing what we command? 

If Jesus prayed the Father that "the same 
love wherewith He loved Him might be in us," 
why would it not be a good thing to pray the 
Father and claim this love by reminding Him of 
Jesus' prayer? 

Since "the grace of God that bringeth salva- 
tion hath appeared to all men," what excuse will 
you have should you appear before God without 
it? 

If Jesus will in no wise cast out any one who 
come unto Him, why remain a cast out when you 
might just as well be a millionaire since it's Jesus 
that bids you come. 

Since the very God of peace has promised to 
"fill us with all joy and peace in believing," why 
go around doubting since it's simply believing 
fchat brings the all joy and the sweet peace? 

If God has called us to repentance and faith in 
Jesus Christ, why not obey God and avoid the 
danger of losing our calling? 



SALVATION LIGHT. 27 

If God has promised to "open up the windows 
of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there 
shall not be room enough to receive it," why de- 
lay the blessing by neglecting to give Him a con- 
secrated life and the tenth of your income, since 
this is your part in proving God and pulling down 
the blessing? 

If we are taught "not to be weary in well do- 
ing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint 
not," why not take the advice, keep from fainting 
by keep on doing good, leave the results with God 
and trust Him for a good harvest? 

If suffering is a part of the Christian's life, 
then it must be the first part and takes place in 
this present life. For we are told in Rev. 22:6, 
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the 
first resurrection, for on such the second death 
hath no power." So then the first death liberates 
us from a sick body and translates us from a 
world where sin and suffering exist, to a para- 
dise where peace, love, eternal life, and Jesus 
Christ reigns supreme. 

The Psalmist said, "Let everything within me 
praise the Lord." Evidently God has a process 
whereby He can, with our consent, cleanse out of 
our soul-house, all the fellows who are not prais- 
ing Him, and thus make it a house full of praise. 
Paul tells us in Rom. 8:7 that "the carnal mind is 
enmity against God; for it is not subject to the 
law of God, neither indeed can be." And wise 



28 SALVATION LIGHT. 

men tell us there are thirty-six different mani- 
festations of the carnal mind, and thirty-six of 
these "fellows" loafing around in my soul-house 
are not going to do me any good and they cannot 
praise the Lord because they have not a mind to 
do so. Thank God the blood of Jesus can cleanse 
or wash them out so that we can have a genuine 
praise service without any objections from the 
inside. 

If walking in the light means fellowship with 
God, then it must be true that walking in dark- 
ness means fellowship with Satan. And if light 
represents righteousness and darkness represents 
sin, we could not very well walk in both at the 
same time, for Jesus said, "No man can serve two 
masters." Surely light and darkness cannot exist 
at the same time in the same place. 

It is very unkind and also discouraging to 
folks for a preacher to tell his people about their 
sins and fail to tell them how the blood of Jesus 
is able to cleanse them from all sin. That instead 
of where "sin did abound, grace may now much 
more abound." In other words it isn't much com- 
fort to tell folks how sick they are unless you can 
tell them of a remedy that can make them well. 

It is a jrood thincr for the folks around you to 
know you are a Christian and still better for you 
to know it yourself. But what sounds so good as 
to hear our Heavenly Father say, "Well done good 



SALVATION LIGHT. 29 

and faithful servant; enter thou into the joys of 
thy Lord." 

Some people may have to guess whether you 
are a servant of God or not. But God doesn't have 
to guess, He knows, and so let every one that 
nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity, 
for we cannoit deceive God. 

It doesn't require much grace, if any, to sit 
down and milk a cow and watch the foam rise as 
the milk comes pouring into the pail. But when the 
cow kicks the pail over and makes a strainer out 
of your clothes, and you feel warm milk stealing 
down your ankle bone, it takes the grace of God 
then to keep you from kicking the cow and spill- 
ing your religion over the cow lot. Any way, 
what is a bucket of milk compared to a well of 
salvation springing up unto everlasting life? 

You need little grace if any, to sit in a hotel 
lobby or railroad train and read the daily papers 
or some story book, but it takes the grace of God 
to sit in the same places and read your Bible. 

It may not take much grace to return thanks 
in your own, home, but it takes the grace of God 
to sit down in a public dining room and bow your 
head and silently thank your heavenly Father for 
the food before you, while all around the table 
are men and women who perhaps never bow be- 
fore Almighty God. 

It does not require much, if any grace, to point 
out the faults of others and magnify their sins 



30 SALVATION LIGHT. 

to your friends and neighbors, but it takes the 
grace of God to meet your friends and neighbors 
and tell them, "I was over and saw Brother John, 
I tell you he has some good points about him, and 
I am sure he has a desire to reach out for eternal 
life. What do you say friends, that we all pray 
for him, give him a kind word and lend a helping 
hand, for we too were once down and out, and 
if it had not been for the kind friends who helped 
us we might be far worse than Brother John." 

Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my command- 
ments." The supreme commandment that He 
gave was "that ye love one another even as I loved 
you." So if we really love Jesus, we will keep 
His commandments and will love one another, and 
if we love one another we will live at peace with 
each other and the peace of God that passeth all 
understanding, will keep our hearts and minds 
through Christ Jesus. 



CHAPTER III. 

Miscellaneous. 

Jesus' Kingdom. 

Luke 22:29. 

jesus Kingdom means salvation irom sin, ana 
the normal condition oi mac Kingdom is peace 
and rignceousness and joy in tne fioiy Gnosc. ii 
nas a platform whose foundation is wisdom ana 
righteousness, sanctincation and redemption, its 
clue!' cornerstone is Jesus Christ, and oi its gov- 
ernment and peace there shall be no end. The 
conditions for entering that kingdom is true re- 
pentance and faith in J esus Christ, and a saying 
even so, to all the will of God. One of the things 
noticeable of its citizens is that they have love 
one for another. They do not seem to follow the 
pomp and glory of this world, but seem to be pos- 
sessed with an inward grace to follow peace with 
all men, and holiness which they say is the ticket, 
or transportation, that gives them the privilege 
of seeing God. They tell me it does one good to 
look at them; they seem to have a shine on their 
face, a glow in their eye, a ring in their voice, a 
hallelujah in their soul. We are told they pray 
without ceasing and in everything give thanks. 
Their conversation and home is in heaven; they 
are merely pilgrims on earth. 

31 



32 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Conviction. 

The older I get and the more I ponder and 
examine the Word of God the more I am con- 
vinced that in order to have a genuine revival, we 
must abandon ourselves unto God, the blood and 
the Holy Ghost, and pull together being of one 
mind and one purpose. Praying and supplicating 
for the Holy Ghost to bring mighty conviction 
on the people : for He the Holy Ghost alone can do 
that, and Jesus said, that when He should come, 
He would reprove the world of sin and of right- 
eousness and of judgment. And how wonderfully 
He can make the sinner see His lost estate, His 
awful doom and cause him to smite his breast and 
cry out in awful agony of mind and heart, "What 
must I do to be saved?" and when people get to 
the place where they cry out to God with a con- 
trite heart and true repentance, they soon find sal- 
vation, and when they get through they know it. 
The neighbors find it out and the angels in Heav- 
en rejoice, and the recording angel writes down 
one more name in the Book of Life. All because 
God loved him, Jesus, died for him, and the Holy 
Ghost brought light, conviction, and finally peace, 
to his troubled soul. 

God is Able. 

It is a settled fact that if we let Satan rule our 
lives, he is able to make us abound in iniquity, 



SALVATION LIGHT. 33 

working that which is evil and at last dragging 
us down into a devil's hell, forever lost and ban- 
ished from God and Heaven and eternal happi- 
ness. 

But thanks be to God who is able to " deliver 
us out of the hand of our enemy, that we may 
serve Him without fear in holiness and righteous- 
ness all the days of our life," for "God is able to 
make all grace abound toward you that ye always 
having all sufficiency in all things may abound 
unto every good work." 

And He is "able to do exceeding abundantly 
above all that we ask or think according to the 
power that worketh in us." And John says, 
"Greater is He that is in you than he that is in 
the world." Thank God He is able. Let us give 
ourselves wholly unto Him. 

My Purpose. 

Phil. 2:14, 15. 

The other fellow may murmur if he wants to ; 
he may wrangle if he chooses and live a crooked 
life if he so desires, but as for me I want to do 
all things without murmurings and disputings 
that I may live blameless and harmless in the 
midst of a crooked and perverse people able to 
trace my citizenship direct to a country called 
paradise, a city named the New Jerusalem, a peo- 
ple whose God is the Lord, and whose peace and 



34 SALVATION LIGHT. 

tranquillity shall never end. I want to so live 
here and now that when I meet with some poor, 
downcast soul, longing and seeking after God, 
they may catch a glimpse of Jesus Christ shining 
through my life, that shall help them to the place 
where they will want to be and live like unto our 
blessed Lord. For John says, "As He is so are 
we to be in this world." 

Jesus is the One. 
Hebrews I. 

We are glad that "'God who in sundry times 
and divers manners spake in times past unto the 
fathers by the prophets, hath in these later days 
spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath made 
heir of all things and by whom He also made the 
worlds. 

"Who, being the brightness of His glory, and 
the express image of His person, upholding all 
things by the word of His power, when He had by 
himself purged our sins and sat down on the right 
hand of the Majesty on High, who being made so 
much better than the angels, as He hath by inher- 
itance obtained a more excellent name than they. 
. . For unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, God, 
is forever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is 
the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved 
righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, 
even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of 



SALVATION LIGHT. 35 

gladness above thy fellows. And Thou, Lord, in 
the beginning hath laid the foundations of the 
earth; and the Heavens are the works of thy 
hands ; they shall perish, but thou remaineth ; and 
they shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a 
vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be 
changed; but thou art the same, and thy years 
shall not fail." 

Most surely "He is the same yesterday, today 
and forever." He is the "Rose of Sharon," the 
"Lily of the Valley," the "fairest of ten thousand 
to my soul." 

Testifying. 

Philemon 1:6. 

"That the communication of thy faith may be- 
come effectual by the acknowledging of every 
good thing in you, in Christ Jesus." 

In more than one place in the Scriptures we 
notice it is God's will and to His glory that we 
tell or acknowledge any and all works of grace 
which have taken place in our souls through be- 
lieving in His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus 
Christ. 

For after He has once blessed us, and we 
would forever keep silent it would only be a 
question of time we would lose the experience for 
it naturally would wither away and die. God, the 
Holy Ghost illuminating our souls and we keeping 



36 SALVATION LIGHT. 

still about it, puts me in mind of a flash of light- 
ning without an after clap of thunder. Somehow 
when we see the lightning rend the clouds, we 
expect to hear the cannon roar of thunder, and 
as a rule the rain begins to fall, refreshing the 
earth and in turn causing the plant life to grow 
more abundantly. 

Even so when the Holy Ghost illuminates our 
minds and fills our hearts, we must tell it and our 
heavenly Father will open up the windows of 
heaven and pour out a blessing, not only on oui 
souls but also make others to rejoice, because the5 
have a consciousness that God has given them 
the same thing He has given you, and stir up in 
others a desire to be more earnest and faithful in 
days to come. 



CHAPTER IV. 
Three Things. 

There are three things in this article that we 
notice about the disciples. First, they tarried; 
second they received ; and last, they witnessed. In 
strict obedience to the commandment of Jesus the 
disciples tarried at Jerusalem and while they tar- 
ried there they did not sit around in idleness 
waiting for something to happen, but they prayed 
and supplicated and waited for the promise of the 
Father. They did not let go until they prayed 
through and received an answer from heaven. We 
have thought a number of times why so little tar- 
rying and why so much hurrying people through. 
And perhaps ofttimes almost forcing them to wit- 
ness to something they themselves did not seem 
to possess. If it took ten days of earnest waiting 
before God for the disciples to receive the promise 
of the Father, we ought not at all get discouraged 
if we have to come to the altar of prayer and con- 
secration night after night or day after day, since 
we are told "That God is a rewarder of them that 
diligently seek Him." Heb. 11:6. 

The oft coming and earnest seeking will surely 
be rewarded with an answer from heaven that 
will satisfy our souls, please God, and defeat the 
devil. For instance: We have been to revival 

37 



38 SALVATION LIGHT. 

meetings where the evangelist would " score' ' 
folks and force them out in the congregation to do 
personal work. Of ttimes perhaps people who had 
no talent or gift along that line and sometimes 
folks who were on the "outs" with their next- 
door neighbors. Then sometimes a half dozen 
people talking to one sinner (but not a seeker) 
surrounding him, all trying to beat the other in 
having something to say and gain the attention of 
the one bombarded, and then as seekers would 
march up in front and the workers had ceased 
their work, some one in the congregation would 
be called upon to pray. After a while the seek- 
ers would be asked the question, "Do you believe 
on the Lord Jesus" and "Do you accept Him as 
your Savior?" The secretary would then come 
forward and take their names. Now we would 
not be so unkind as to criticise an evangelist's 
earnest efforts to get people saved and we have 
no intention to make light of or discourage any 
seeking soul. We believe some people do get sal- 
vation under those circumstances, but brother, 
why not allow the workers to go out under the 
leadings of the Holy Spirit, instead of the lash, 
so to speak, of the evangelist. And why not give 
the seekers a chance to tarry and pray through 
and have God speak to them. But have I met 
all conditions, and does Jesus accept me, and 
does He give me the witness of the Spirit that I 
am a child of God? It is one thing for me to ac- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 39 

cept Christ, but it is altogether another thing, 
does He accept me. Hence the necessity of clear 
and definite teaching and real earnest seeking. 
For this kind of teaching and seeking will make 
us finders in the Kingdom of our Lord and Sa- 
vior Jesus Christ. 

Again we noticed when the disciples met the 
conditions and tarried until the day of Pentecost 
was fully come, the Father verified His promise 
and the Holy Ghost fell upon them with great 
power, purifying their hearts by faith and filling 
them with the pure love of God. We can easily 
imagine that scene, for no doubt some were cry- 
ing, some were shouting, some laughing, some 
were leaping and praising God and still others 
were so quiet 'and yet so permeated with the love 
of God that they could not say anything. But 
they all were blessed and all manifested the 
blessing in their own way. And as the Spirit 
gave them utterance they began to speak and tes- 
tify and this brings us to the last thought — they 
witnessed. 

They glorified God and His Son Jesus was 
lifted up and exalted, and there was such a stir 
and power in the meeting that people up town 
heard it, got ready, came down to the revival and 
of course Peter stood up and the eleven with him, 
and as Peter preached to them with the Holy 
Ghost sent down from heaven warning them to 
flee the wrath to come, and pointing them to 



40 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Jesus Christ the Savior of the world whom they 
had killed and with cruel hands had nailed to the 
cross, and as Peter preached and the Holy Ghost 
came upon the people with convincing and con- 
victing power they cried out, "men and breth- 
ren, what shall we do?" Then Peter said unto 
them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you 
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of 
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy 
Ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your 
children, and to all that are afar off, even as 
many as the Lord our God shall call. ,, Acts 2:38, 
39. 

We would like to bring out the thought that 
before we can witness we must have something to 
witness to. And we cannot very well witness to 
something we do not have. For if we do we are 
liable to hinder other folks, for some will say, 
"If that is what you call salvation, I don't want 
it." You see there is a twofold way of witnessing 
for Jesus. One is to let Him guide us and rule us 
in our daily living and business relations with 
others and the other side is telling folks at prayer 
meeting and testimony meeting what God is do- 
ing for us and how we love Him and want to serve 
Him and these two must agree. And, as a rule, 
folks will be convinced by our daily walk in life 
rather than by our testimony in prayer and tes- 
timony meeting. 

Again we notice that after Pentecost the dis- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 41 

ciples had victory 'and power in their witnessing. 
They didn't seem to be afraid any more, but 
stood up boldly and declared that Jesus was the 
resurrected Christ and that there wasn't any oth- 
er name given among men whereby we must be 
saved. Preaching and testifying that Jesus of 
Nazareth was and is the risen Lord and Messiah 
that was to come meant persecution, imprison- 
ment and death to the loyal band of early Chris- 
tians. But Paul writes, "none of these things 
move me, neither count I my life dear unto my- 
self, that I might finish my course with joy. Yea, 
I count all things but loss for the excellency of 
the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord for whom 
I have suffered the loss of all things and do count 
them but dung in order that I might win Christ." 
Paul was bright, and a scholar of no mean 
reputation. He could have won the honors of the 
world but he much rather desired to win Christ. 
Peter had the gift of leadership and might have 
worked himself into a good position, but he chose 
rather to take up his cross and follow Jesus and 
the fact that he suffered persecution and impris- 
onment only drove him closer to his Lord and his 
soul full of love and hope enabled him to look 
beyond all temporal things. And as he writes 
his first epistle, he says, "Peter, an apostle of Je- 
sus 'Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout 
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the 



42 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Father, through sanctification of the spirit, unto 
obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus 
Christ: grace unto you, and peace be multiplied. " 

Just think of a man going up and down the 
country, through villages and cities despised by 
the leaders of the church, suffering evil treatment 
and on his way to at last suffer crucifixion with 
his head downward and yet carrying in his soul 
the mercies of God and ( a whole multiplication 
table of peace and singing out, "Blessed be the 
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which 
according to His abundant mercy hath begotten 
us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of 
Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance in- 
corruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not 
away, reserved in heaven for you." 

We notice Peter was on his way to heaven 
and had heaven in his soul, and as he preached 
Jesus the resurrected Lord and Savior of the 
world and witnessing to people around him, he led 
many to eternal life, but he also met with bitter 
and stubborn opposition and had to lay down his 
life for the cause which God loves and the devil 
hates. In John 15 :20, Jesus said, "Remember 
the word that I said unto you, the servant is not 
greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted 
me they will also persecute you : if they have kept 
my saying, they will keep yours also." And in the 
21st verse He said, "But all those things will they 
do unto you for my name's sake, because they 



SALVATI0N1 LIGHT. 43 

know not Him that sent me." Any people any- 
where who plan to do violence or evil to any one 
anywhere because they may not be in line with 
their church or belief, are murderers in heart 
and strangers to the love of God and eternal life. 
Love worketh no ill to his neighbor, and where 
the love of God reigns in the heart of man the 
very thought of doing his neighbor an unkind act 
is repulsive to his well-instructed soul. And yet 
we hear of people going up and down this world 
running to and fro claiming to be the children of 
God and yet planning to kill, burn, flay, boil, bury 
alive, poison or strangle, devastate, even dash out 
the brains of innocent children and babes and re- 
fuse to show mercy to either sex or age. And this 
is going on in the twentieth century. If every 
man and woman would lock themselves up and be 
alone with God for at least thirty minutes the 
Holy Ghost would reveal to many the blackness 
of their hearts and no doubt many would hear the 
voice of Jesus saying ,"Why persecutest thou me? 
but arise, and stand on thy feet: for I have ap- 
peared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a 
minister and a witness both of these things which 
thou hast seen, and of these things, in which I 
will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the 
people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now 
send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them 
from darkness to light, and from the power of 
Satan unto God, that they may receive forgive- 



44 SALVATION LIGHT. 

ness of sins, and inheritance among them which 
are sanctified by faith that is in me." Acts 26: 
16-18. 

Thank God, we have His promise that if we 
tarry He will not disappoint us, but He will come 
and take up His abode with us and then when we 
ihave faithfully tarried and He, our heavenly 
guest, has come to stay, let us be careful how we 
live lest we grieve Him and His sweet presence 
slips out of our soul. But let as many of us who 
claim to be God's children and servants of Jesus 
Christ, remember the words of the beloved Jude 
who wrote, "But ye, beloved, building up your- 
selves in the love of God, looking for the mercy 
of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And 
of some have compassion, making a difference, 
and others save with fear, pulling them out of the 
fire; hating even the garment spotted by the 
flesh." 

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from 
falling, and to present you faultless before the 
presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the 
only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, 
dominion and power, both now and forever." 
Amen. 



CHAPTER V. 

Four Things. 

rejected of men. 

My mind this evening has been occupied with 
the suffering's of Jesus Christ. I have Him pic- 
tured as a man with a kind look but a very sad 
face. And when we consider His life so full and 
complete in helping the unfortunate, healing the 
sick, cleansing the leper, opening the eyes of the 
blind, unloosing the tongue of the dumb, causing 
the deaf to hear, raising the dead and speaking 
words of cheer and comfort to the oppressed, 
feeding the hungry, stilling the angry sea, restor- 
ing reason to the maniac, casting out devils, for- 
giving the sinner and dying with a prayer for 
His enemies, and yet in the face of all these and 
many other good deeds, we are reminded He came 
into the world and the world was made by Him 
and they knew Him not. He came unto His own 
and His own received Him not. He must be born 
in a common manger. He had no place to lay His 
head, no home. They cast Him out of the syna- 
gogue, they called Him a devil, accused Him of be- 
ing gluttonous and winehibber. They said He 
was a blasphemer and a deceiver; with howling 
mob they made Him a prisoner. They arrayed 

45 



46 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Him in mock apparel, spit in His face, smote Him 
with a reed, His temples adorned with a crown of 
thorns, His body lacerated with scourging, His 
hands and feet pierced through with cruel spikes, 
and crying out in derision and mockery they said, 
" Others He has saved, now let Him come down 
from the cross and save Himself ." He, our bless- 
ed Lord, was misunderstood, misrepresented, for- 
saken by His own, suffered awful agony of soul, 
sweat drops of blood, His suffering even unto 
death. No wonder Isaiah prophesied of Him say- 
ing, "His visage was marred above any man, He 
is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, 
our faces from Him. He was oppressed and af- 
flicted and we esteemed Him not. As a lamb led 
to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shear- 
ers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. He 
was taken from prison and from judgment and 
who shall declare His generation for He was cut 
off from the land of the living, for the transgres- 
sions of my people was He stricken. He poured 
out His soul unto death." 

Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried 
our sorrows. Oh, what a Christ this Christ of 
mine ! how clear and forcibly it comes home to me. 
The sufferings of Jesus Christ, He who suffered 
for our sins, died for our salvation, rose from the 
grave for our resurrection. He who has done all 
of this and prayed the Father who has sent the 



SALVATION LIGHT. 47 

Holy Ghost into the world to help every sinner 
to repent, every believer to believe, every saint to 
rejoice, yea, hath suffered all things and hath 
made all things possible for our full and complete 
salvation, here and now. Amen. 

Pure Hearts. 

The Patriarch David asks a question and then 
answers it. He asks, "Who shall ascend unto the 
hill of the Lord and who shall stand in His holy 
place?" His answer is by stating, "He that hath 
clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lift- 
eth up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully. 
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and 
from the God of His^aivation." 

The prophet Daniel in looking across the space 
of time, wrote "that in the last days many shall 
be purified and made white and tried." 

The prophet Malachi exclaimed and penned 
it centuries ago that "when Jesus would come, He 
would purify the sons of Levi and purge them as 
gold that they might offer unto the Lord an offer- 
ing in righteousness." 

And Jesus Christ our Lord as He sat on the 
Mount of Olives, made mention of this same 
thing. He said, "Blessed are the pure in heart 
for they shall see God." 

The beloved John in writing on this theme in 
1st Epistle, 3rd chapter, 1st, 2nd and 3rd verses, 



48 SALVATION LIGHT. 

"Behold what manner of love the Father hath be- 
stowed on us that we should be called the sons of 
God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, be- 
cause it knew Him not." "Beloved, now are we 
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what 
we shall be; but w§ know that when He shall ap- 
pear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him 
as He is and every man that hath this hope in 
him, purifieth himself even as He is pure." 

The Apostle James lifts up his voice and cries 
aloud, "Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify 
your hearts ye double-minded. Be afflicted and 
mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned to 
mourning and your joy to heaviness." And I ask 
the Apostle James why this mourning and why 
this weeping and he answers, "Humble yourselves 
in the sight of the Lord and He shall lift you up." 
The Apostle Peter in writing on this theme 
says, "Seeing* ye have purified your soul in obey- 
ing the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned 
love of the brethren, see that ye love one another 
with a pure heart fervently." 1st Peter 1 :22. In 
Acts 15:7, Peter tells of how God sent him to 
preach to the Gentiles, and in the 8th verse he 
states that God gave the Gentiles the witness of 
the Holy Ghost, and in the 9th verse he said that 
God put no difference between us and them, pur- 
ifying their hearts by faith. The thought we de- 
sire to bring out in this little article is that God 
has planned and willed that all of His children 



SALVATION LIGHT. 49 

shall have pure hearts and made free from sin, 
and that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost each 
have a part and work to perform and are ready to 
perform their work and will create a pure heart 
within us if we will only meet the conditions and 
let them do it. We do not need money, position, 
education, or talent to get it, but we must believe 
that God can do it, and it is His will concerning 
us and we will have to realize our need of it and 
want it bad enough to go anywhere or do any- 
thing the Holy Spirit may suggest in order that 
we may find it. 

Purity of heart will be the ticket or transpor- 
tation that will entitle me to see God. It will be 
the experience of heart that will make me bold in 
the day of judgment. It will be the substance in 
my soul that will cause me to love my brother 
with a pure heart fervently. It will be the thing 
in my life that will shine as the brightness of the 
firmament and if I possess it, live it, and keep it, 
it will turn many to righteousness. Yes, it will 
make me feel, look, act and walk like a person in 
this world, but not of this world. Our* conversa- 
tion will be in "whatsoever things are true, what- 
soever things are honest, whatsoever things are 
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever 
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good 
report." If there be any virtue, and if there be 
any praise, we will think on these. 



50 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Understanding. 

The world somehow has often failed to un- 
derstand why some men and women have under- 
taken great things for God and humanity, when 
apparently according to their insight there didn't 
seem to be any ground or reason for such a move- 
ment and they even have scoffed and ridiculed 
and made light of the very people God sent to be 
a blessing to them. But we have only to turn to 
Hebrews 11:7 and we learn that "by faith, Noah 
being warned of God of things not seen as yet 
moved with fear, and built an ark to the saving 
of his house, by w r hich he condemned the world 
and became heir of the righteousness which is by 
faith." God knew and Noah obeyed God and af- 
terward dwelt in safety while multitudes perish- 
ed in a watery grave. 

Again, we have heard of people and have ac- 
tually met with some who seemed to have some 
hidden power in their inner lives that made them 
act, look and live like unto our Lord Jesus, for 
when they were reviled they reviled not again, 
when they were misunderstood or misrepresented 
or falsely accused they took it all patiently. They 
seemed to back off or hide in some secret place 
with their Lord and knew of a way of committing 
all things to Him who careth for us, and if we 
want a reason or key to their hidden power, we 
have only to turn to 2nd Cor. 4:7, and they de- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 51 

clare that they "have this treasure in earthen ves- 
sels that the excellency of the power may be of 
God and not of us. We are troubled on every side, 
but not dismayed ; perplexed, but not in despair ; 
persecuted, but not forsaken ; cast down, but not 
destroyed; always bearing about in the body the 
dying of our Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus 
might also be made manifest in this our body." 

Again, we have known of people who claimed 
and testified that they had been made free from 
sin and had even gone out of the sin business ; be- 
come servants of God and were able by His grace 
to bear fruit unto holiness and went as far as to 
state that they had the promise of eternal life 
and therefore expected to live forever. And so to 
satisfy our minds of the correctness of such wit- 
nessing, we need only to turn to Romans 6 :22, for 
we read that "now being made free from sin and 
become servants unto God, ye have your fruit 
unto holiness and the end everlasting life." In- 
deed nothing is too hard for our Lord if we let 
Him have His way with us, for He has promised 
to save us from our sins, lead us 'by His spirit, 
guide us into all truth, keep us unto the end, and 
at last dwell with Him in heaven where there shall 
be fullness of joy and pleasure forever more. 

I want to be broad enough to please God and 
help my fellowman, and narrow enough to keep 
the devil out. Amen. 



52 SALVATION LIGHT. 

A BEAUTIFUL SCENE. 

Recently I sat in a fairly large church and ob- 
served and mused. And since then, I have thought 
what would be the most beautiful scene one could 
witness. I thought of the choir as they ail sac 
to one side, every one of them dressed in neat gar- 
ments and singing songs of Zion. Then I thought 
a moment and said, "No, this is not the most beau 
tiful scene." I thought of the preacher as he 
walked the platform and poured out the gospel 
truth, his every nerve tingling with power and his 
eyes flashing as he fought against sin, and how 
his voice rang out as he exalted Jesus Christ. 
Then I thought a moment again and said, is this 
the most beautiful scene? And I stepped back 
to the belfrey and watched the janitor as he rang 
the bell. I listened while the bell was calling 
saint and sinner to the house of God and thought 
how many people who were waiting to hear the 
ringing of the church bell. And I thought, is 
this the most beautiful scene? Then I stepped up 
behind the sacred desk and peered into the faces 
of a large crowd ; some would nod their heads in 
approval of what the preacher said. I saw some 
who gave a smile of welcome as the truth sank 
into their hearts, and I heard some say " Amen !" 
as the Word went forth with power. I looked 
again and saw the tears of joy and sorrow inter- 
mingle as the heavenly manna fell from the skies. 



SALVATION LIGHT. 53 

I said, "Is not this the most beautiful scene?" 
And while thus musing, I imagined I saw a poor 
sinner downcast and forlorn ; at first he seemed to 
hesitate, something seemed to be holding him 
back. I saw him struggle as he broke loose and 
coming down the aisle, he fell at the place of 
prayer, and cried out, "God be merciful to me a 

SHiner." 

I said to myself, this is the most beautiful 
scene. For to this end was the church erected, 
to this end did the church bell ring; to this end 
were the songs of Zion sung; to this end were 
the prayers offered ; to this end did the preacher 
preach. Yes, to this end did the Son of God die, 
and this kind of a scene brings joy to the angels 
which are in Heaven. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Sin. 

Even as God the Father is the author of Ho- 
liness and all true happiness, so Satan is the 
originator of all sin and all subsequent misery. 
Someone has said, "If you dance you will have to 
pay the fiddler." And so if we commit sin, we 
must pay the price. It is not then a question 
whether we want to pay the bill or not. God 
says your sin will find you out; and what we do 
in secret will be blazed from the house top. Dis- 
obedience is Satan's password into the mind and 
heart of man. If he can get a son or daughter 
to disobey Father or Mother, a Christian to dis- 
obey his Lord, a church to set aside some funda- 
mental truth, he has gained a foothold which will 
bring misery to the son, sorrow to the daughter 
and death to the church. He comes to us as an 
angel of light and has a way of flattering us ; of 
filling uis with pride; of saying who is like unto 
thee. He has the birds singing on our heads ; the 
flowers blooming at our feet; the air filled with 
rich aroma, almost lifting us to the skies. He 
makes all kinds of promises; in fact, he fairly 
breaks down with them and unloads them at our 
feet. "Take them ; they are yours ; eat, drink and 
be merry; enjoy yourself, be a good fellow; yes, 

54 



SALVATION LIGHT. 55 

a hale fellow well met." And one of the sad and 
awful facts is, he has dragged many a >poor, lonely 
wretched soul into hell, who, in the hour of de- 
spondency, rather than face the world, took their 
own lives and thought to end it all. 

Sin is an awful thing. It is the one thing that 
separates the soul from God and eternal life. It 
has and is separating many homes. Fathers 
against mothers, and mothers against fathers, 
children against parents. It has and is ruining 
multitudes of people. It is responsible for all 
crimes; all misery; all heartaches; all shame. 
Who is he or she that has not at some time, or 
is now a servant of sin. For we are told that "all 
have sinned, and come short of the iglory of God." 

It was the result of sin that caused Cain in 
anguish of soul to cry out, "My punishment is 
greater than I can 'bear." It was sin indulged in 
by Saul, king of Israel, that made him cry out in 
despair, "God' is departed from me. He answer- 
eth me no more, neither by prophets or by 
dream's." It was sin that brought on the flood 
and buried its victims in a watery grave. It was 
sin that made David fall, for he afterwards cried 
out, "My sin is always before me." It was sin 
that made Saul persecute the Church of Jesus 
Christ; Judas Iscariot to betray his Lord; the 
Sanhedrin to stone Stephen; Herod to behead 
John; Ananias and Sapphira to lie to the Holy 
Ghost ; the Jews to cry out, "Crucify Him ! Cru- 



56 SALVATION LIGHT. 

cify Him! and let His 'blood be on us and our 
children." 

Sin blinds our spiritual eyes, deadens our mor- 
al nature, empties us of righteousness, fills us 
with prejudice, envy, malice, bitterness, deceit, 
murder. It begins in disobedience, its end is 
death. Oh, what sorrow, weeping, wailing, bitter 
remorse and death it has ministered to countless 
numbers of people, beginning with Adam until 
the present time ! 

But thanks be unto God, there is a remedy for 
sin, made possible through the shed blood of our 
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So that where sin 
did abound in my life, grace may now much more 
abound. For in Isaiah 55, we hear God saying, 
"Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the un- 
righteous man his thoughts, and let him return 
unto the Lord and He will have mercy and to our 
God for He will abundantly pardon." David 
writes, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall 
be like wool, and though they be red as crimson, 
they shall be whiter than snow." 

Jesus said, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in 
no wise cast out. Come unto me, all ye that labor 
and are 'heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am 
meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest for 
your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden 
is light." Christ died for the ungodly. He suf- 
fered death for every man, that whosoever will 



SALVATION LIGHT. 57 

may come. If we do not come to Him, He has 
done all He can. He has made all arrangements 
for our redemption. He prayed the Father for 
our forgiveness, He shed His blood for our cleans- 
ing, He sent the Holy Ghost to convict us of sin 
and to show us our need of salvation. He wants 
to dwell in us, He desires to lead us and strength- 
en us, and to help us every step of the way. God 
the Father has saved the chief of sinners — men 
and women who because of sin have been down 
and out, sad and lonely, forsaken, destitute and 
in despair, who have caught a glimpse of Jesus 
Christ the friend of sinners and through the 
pleading of some Christian worker, some moth- 
er's prayer, some father's godly life, some sister 
or brother's love, have by the help of the Holy 
Ghost 'broken loose from Satan, and, like the poet, 
has sung out, "I will arise and go to Jesus, He will 
embrace me in His arms. In the arms of my dear 
Savior, oh, thou art ten thousand charms." 

I have in mind a cashier of a certain bank who 
was living in sin. His family lived an extrava- 
gant, worldly life. His salary seemed insufficient 
to furnish enough money to keep them going in 
their sinful career, and like many a man he began 
using the bank's money to keep the butterfly life 
supplied with the wanted means. This was kept 
up until it reached a large sum. He had forgotten 
his sin would find him out until one day the Board 
of Directors called him to give an account of the 



58 SALVATION LIGHT. 

missing funds. The following day he was to meet 
this body, but the night before the Board was to 
meet, he wrote a letter to the officers of the bank 
in which he said, "My next address will be in 
hell, and I hope to meet you there." He stole out 
of his bed room about midnight, walked down the 
railroad track, stepped to a lonely spot, placed the 
revolver to his head, blew out his 'brains and sent 
his soul into eternity. These are sad and awful 
words, and yet friends, it shows what sin will do. 
Oh, what a different letter he might have writ- 
ten, and what a different ending his life might 
have had and what a different place he might have 
gone to! If he had only met the officers of the 
bank, confessed his guilt, asked their forgiveness 
and made restitution as far as he could, and then 
turned to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of his 
sins, and by the grace of God lived a pure and 
upright life. In later years he could have writ- 
ten a different letter, reading something like this : 

To the officers of bank : A number of 

years have passed since I misused the bank's 
money. You know boys, God helped me to confess 
and you were so good to me. You gave me a 
chance to make it right and, now by the help of 
God, the old debt is paid. I have, since I met you 
and confessed my guilt, lived a different life. Je- 
sus has washed all my sins away, my wife and 
children have been converted and now our home 
is so happy. Boys, I want to tell you I won't be 



SALVATION LIGHT. 59 

with you so very long. Somehow I feel the end 
is not far away. Yes, I know I am on my way to 
a city which hath foundations whose builder and 
maker is God and He tells me in His blessed 
word, "There shall be no night there and they 
need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the 
Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign 
forever and ever. If you don't hear from me 
again remember my next address will be in the 
New Jerusalem and I hope to meet you there." 

Of all the sad words, "it might have been." 
Sinner, come to Jesus, He will not turn you down, 
no matter how deep in sin you may be. Confess 
it now. The Holy Ghost will aid you and He can 
break that proud and haughty will. He can melt 
that stoney heart, and can lead you to the foun- 
tain of cleansing. He can give you the assurance 
of sins forgiven and can lead you into a holy 
life. Sinner do it now, for the sake of your own 
precious soul, for the sake of father, for the sake 
of mother, for the sake of brother, for the sake of 
sister, for the sake of others who are in sin. Yes, 
for Jesus' sake, who shed His precious blood and 
who died for the ungodly, do it now. 

"Oh, what amazing words of grace 

Are in the gospel found ! 
Suited to every sinner's case, 

Who knows the joyful sound. 



60 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Poor, sinful, thirsty, f aiting souls 

Are freely welcome here; 
Salvation, like a river, rolls 

Abundant, free, and clear. 

Come, then, with all your wants and wounds ; 

Your every burden bring : 
Here love, unchanging love, abounds, 

A deep, celestial spring." 






CHAPTER VII. 

The Christian Life. 

If regeneration is the foundation of the Chris- 
tian life and the beginning of holiness in the 
heart of man, for Jesus said, "Unless a man be 
born again he cannot enter the kingdom of ■Heav- 
en," and John wrote that "whosoever is born of 
God doth not commit sin," then according to Je- 
sus' own words we must be born again, and ac- 
cording to John's statement that when a man is 
born of God he goes out of the sin business. And 
the fact of our going out of the sin business is 
to be the evidence that we are born of God ; aM 
the fact that we still continue in sin is evidence 
that we are children of the devil. 1 Joflm 3:10. 
It looks to me that according to God's word re- 
generation as a high standard of Christian living, 
and who will deny the fact that before a penitent 
sinner can be iborn again he must forsake his sins 
and promise God in truth that 'he will never take 
them up again, but by His grace be right and 
do right as long as (he lives. But supposing he 
finds out that after he is born of God and the seed 
of true holiness has sprung up in his heart, he 
finds there is an enemy on the inside opposing 
and fighting against the will of God, and at times 
causing him to fall, would you be willing to let 

61 



62 SALVATION LIGHT. 

God destroy this enemy and make your heart per- 
fect in holiness, .so that the (holiness He begun in 
your heart at regeneration might have a better 
chance to grow and bear fruit in entire sanotifi- 
cation? But notice, if after beinig born again and 
started in the way of holiness, and if after being 
made perfect in Holiness you should fail by doing 
something or not doing what God has revealed 
you should or should not do, I say would you be 
willing to go back and do the first works, repent, 
make the wrong right and ask God to forgive you 
and then by faith step under the cleansing blood 
and thereby be restored in the love of God and 
healed of your sin? While our heavenly Father 
is grieved when we fall, and while we don't need 
to fall since He has abundance of grace to keep 
us from falling, yet the testimony of many seern- 
ingly earnest Christians is that they have grieved 
the Holy Spirit at different times in both their 
justified as well as their sanctified life, and more 
than once we have had to come back in shame and 
humility and implore God's mercy and forgive- 
ness. While it grieves the Holy Spirit to see us 
fall, yet it would grieve Him infinitely more if 
we didn't take hold of God's promise's and make 
a mighty rush and struggle to get back on our 
feet, and realize His forgiving and cleansing 
grace. And right here is where some folks have 
become cold as well as dry in the Christian life 
because pride sprung up and love went out. And 



SALVATION LIGHT. 63 

the fact that they did not humble themselves be- 
fore God and man is the reason they do not seem 
to enjoy the things of God they once did. 

In James 5 : 16 we are told to confess our faults 
one to another, and pray for one another, that ye 
may be healed. Now it is delightful to get up 
in a testimony meeting and tell folks what victory 
God is giving me. But perhaps some of us would 
have more Victory in our souls if we would tell 
some of our faults. How about the other day 
when I did not have any victory in my soul, and 
how about that struggle I had last week when it 
seemed as though the very 'demons of hell were 
let loose on my soul, and for a time seemed to 
overpower me. Yes, my very thoughts and ac- 
tions were anything but godlike. And how in the 
hour of my defeat and despondency I once more 
looked to God from whence I received 'help and 
thank God, brethren, I got victory in my soul. 
The fact that I fell is not to God's glory, but the 
fact that I did not stay there but looked to God 
for help and grace is to His glory and will help 
somebody else defeat the devil. While no doubt, 
there are many people in this world who may 
have victory all the time, yet we believe the ma- 
jority cannot thus testify. 

Again we take another step in the Christian 
life, and we notice the Christian must live by 
faith, and though he may have a consciousness 
in his soul that he is on good terms with his Lord, 



64 SALVATION LIGHT. 

yet there will come testing times which will try 
our faith. In 1st Peter 1:5 we read: "Who are 
kept by the power of God through faith unto sal- 
vation ready to be revealed in the last time, 
wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a 
season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through 
manifold temptations. That the trial of your 
faith being much more precious than of gold 
which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, 
might be found unto praise and honor and glory 
at the appearing of Jesus Christ." There have 
been times in our own Christian life when it 
seemed we were forsaken by everybody. Yes, 
even by our heavenly Father. We had no feeling, 
no joy; and these seasons would last for days 
We however, would hold on to God's promises and 
the consciousness that we were His child would 
stay with us, and then after a while, as the clouds 
would clear away, and once more God would smile 
on our souls, how glad we were we did not let go, 
but simply clung to His promises and held on by 
faith. Feelings and circumstances may seem 
against us, but remember the Christian shall live 
by faith. Just think of Job. At one time he was 
the richest man in the East. He had great flocks 
and herds. His servants were many ; his daugh- 
ters were fair ; his sons he loved ; 'his wife he 
adored. But one day the Sabeans came along, 
stole his cattle and killed his servants, the light- 
ning struck his sheep and burned up his herds- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 65 

men. The Chaldeans with three bands rushed 
upon his icamels, took them away and slew his 
servants with the edge of the sword ; the cyclone 
demolished the home and killed his sons ; (his love- 
ly daughters died ; his body became afflicted with 
awful sores; and at last his wife turned on ihim 
and said, "Now curse God and die." But when 
this avalanche of sorrow and disaster came sweep- 
ing over Job like a mighty tidal wave, He got down 
before his God and poured out his soul unto the 
Lord and our heavenly Father opened up the win- 
dows of heaven and poured into Job's soul a heal- 
ing stream, and when Job got up he said, "the 
Lord has given, the Lord has taken away ; blessed 
be the name of the Lord." And I ihave thought 
that multitudes of Christians have been helped 
and comforted through the sufferings and faith- 
fulness of Job. 

In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, Paul in 
speaking or writing on faith when He came to 
the thirty-second verse, he wrote, "And what shall 
I more say? For the time would fail me to tell 
of Gideon, and of Barak and of Samson, -and of 
Jepthae, of David, also of Samuel and of the 
prophets; who through faith subdued kingdoms, 
wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stop- 
ped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence 
of fire; escaped the edge of the sword; out of 
weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in 
fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, 



66 SALVATION LIGHT. 

women received their dead raised to life again, 
and others were tortured,, not accepting deliv- 
erance ; that they might obtain a better resurrec- 
tion. And others had trial of icruel mockings and 
scourgings; yet, moreover of bonds and impris- 
onment: they were stoned, they were sawn asun- 
der, were tempted, were slain with the sword; 
they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and 
in dens and caves of the earth," etc. And when 
our mind runs back over the Old Testament wor- 
thies who thus endured and suffered and died to 
keep alive on earth the faith once delivered unto 
the saints, I love to step over on the Isle of Pat- 
mos and stand by the side of the beloved John, 
and gazing at that great cloud of witnesses, I 
hear the guide asking John, "Who are these and 
whence came they?" And then John said, "Sir, 
thou knowest," and the Heavenly visitor said, 
"These are they who 'have come up out of great 
tribulation and have washed their robes and made 
them white in the blood of the Lamb." Yes, I 
hear Him say in another place, "These are they 
who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth." 

Abraham, Moses, Job and an innumerable 
company of God's children have trodden this old 
world, and at last have mounted the everlasting 
hills of God with victory in their souls. But while 
down here they had to walk by faith, and that 
faith to them has become sight, and so we read 
again, "This is the victory that overcometh the 



SALVATION LIGHT. 67 

world, even your faith." It is so sweet to notice 
how a child will believe what Papa or Mamma 
sayis is so. Why, you could promise thtem any 
good thing your mind could turn to and they 
would believe it. Why, of course, Papa said so, 
or Mamma said so, as the case might be, and 
how it must please our Heavenly Father to see 
His children taking hold of His word, stepping 
out on His promises and with the keen eye of 
faith see beyond all trials and sufferings pressing 
heavenward, regardless of feeling or no feeling, 
joy or no joy. But mind you, faith will at last 
bring joy, and joy brings assurance, and assur- 
ance brings victory, and victory in our souls will 
defeat the Devil. 

Again we take another step in the Christian 
life, and we notice we must have and maintain 
good works, for James tells us, "Faith and works 
go together ;" they are twin brothers, so to speak. 
We are known by our works ; God recognizes good 
works, but hates evil workers. 

And this brings us to the closing thought, and 
that is, be true to God and faithful in whatever 
line of duty He may call you. If you find out that 
you have been doing something that is not right, 
quit it. If you are not sure as to this, that, or the 
other, as profitable for your soul, or which might 
prove a hindrance in your Christian life, let it 
alone. When you are fully convinced what God's 
will is concerning yiou, obey 'God. If some one 



68 SALVATION LIGHT. 

says evil things about you that are not true, don't 
retaliate, 'but keep sweet, and generally about 
this time it is a good thing to drop down on your 
knees and talk with God. However, if you have 
done or said something that is wrong, make it 
right. Don't wait to rectify a wrong, hasten to 
fix it up. Do not let the sun go down on your 
wrath. Be careful to keep a good conscience void 
of offense both toward God and man. Grieve not 
the Holy Spirit. If others in the church can 
pray, sing, or testify better than you can, let not 
envy spring up in your heart. If you are gifted 
on any of these lines let not pride come into your 
heart. Pride will cause yon to fall ; it is a dan- 
gerous thing, and has kept, and is keeping many 
from doing 'what they know they ought to do. 
Pride will make you ashamed of the wrinkles in 
your mother's face. It will make you ashamed 
to walk down the streets with your aged father, 
especially if he is poor and wears worn garments. 
It will keep you from toeing humble, and if you 
don't get rid of it, it will at last bring bitter re- 
morse. So in putting on our heavenly dress, let 
us see to it that the beautiful garment of humility 
is well fastened on so it won't lose off. In fact, 
it is one of the high priced garments in the heav- 
enly wardrobe. If ycu can't do the big things in 
God's kingdom, be sure to do the little things. 
Somebody must take up the odds and ends. Any- 
how the spirit of being willing to take a lowly 



SALVATION LIGHT. 69 

and obscure place in this world, is far better than 
to move around in prominent circles with an air 
as much as to say, "I want you to notice I do 
things." Then again it takes just as much and 
perhaps sometimes more grace to do the little, 
unnoticed deeds in God's kingdom, than the big 
things that cause people to sit up and take no- 
tice. Let us be glad for the men and women who 
are gifted and can do the big things, and let us 
also give thanks to our heavenly Father who has 
helped us to do some little things for the better- 
ment of mankind, and has used us to cheer some 
lonely soul in some lonely plaice. 

Finally, remember the words of our Lord, 
"Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which 
thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him 
that overcometh will I make a pillar in the tem- 
ple of my God and he shall go no more out : and 
I will write upon him the name of my God, which 
is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of 
Heaven from my God." Rev. 3:11-12. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
Church Membership. 

In this article we do not mean to say unless 
you join some church you cannot be saved, but we 
do insist and entreat that if you are earnestly 
striving to serve God, you ought to join some 
church and identify yourself with God's people in 
some organized form. For if we did not have 
any church members we would not have any 
churches, we would not have any preachers, we 
would not have any revivals, no sacred place for 
shepherd and flock to meet together, no church 
bells to ring out their mellow and soul-inspiring 
chimes. And what blessing and what sacred 
memories cluster in and about the Church of God, 
the place of thine abode, and how many hungry 
seeking souls have been converted, reclaimed and 
gloriously sanctified while listening to the preach- 
ed word and bowing at some altar in some partic- 
ular church. In joining the church of your choice 
be earnest in life and true to God and determine 
by His grace to lay aside all strut and pride and 
pomp of this world endeavoring always at all 
times, in all places to live as near right as you 
know how. 

Now some folks condemn the church because 
there are some church people in the church that 

70 



SALVATION LIGHT. 71 

are not right, and because some are "dead as a 
door nail." If I were in a church like that I would 
have to sing out and testify mightily what God is 
doing for my soul or I would die too, and if I were 
to continue in my praises to God something might 
happen ; either the church would line up and get 
salvation, or else some of the leaders would line 
up and request that, "whereas this, that, and the 
other, in my continual testimony was not condu- 
cive to the peaceful and quiet slumber to our most 
beloved and highly esteemed congregation, we the 
undersigned do hereby request that your member- 
ship cease in this church until death doth us part." 
While it has been done yet there is not so much 
danger of being put out of the church if you live 
as you testify, are true to the doctrines of your 
church and remember that common sense and 
genuine salvation go hand in hand. Fanaticism 
never had any place in the Church of God and the 
same devil that causes good folks to run off into 
fanaticism holds others back and keeps them from 
running off into anything that is genuine and 
good. 

There is, however, a wide difference between a 
church member and a Christian (every church 
member ought to be a Christian). A church 
member is a person who has their name written 
in the records of some particular church or de- 
nomination, while a Christian is one that has his 
or her name written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 



72 SALVATION LIGHT. 

The secretary, or keeper of this book, met the be- 
loved John on the Isle of Patmos and said, "He 
that over cometh shall be clothed in white raiment 
and I will not blot out his name out of the Book 
of Life, but will confess his name before my Fath- 
er and His angels." Rev. 3:5. But that wasn't 
all he said about this Book of Life, for John said, 
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand be- 
fore God and the books were opened ; and another 
book was opened which is the Book of Life: and 
the dead were judged out of those things which 
were written in the books, according to their 
works, and the sea gave up the dead which were 
in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead 
which were in them; and they were judged every 
man according to their works and death and hell 
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second 
death, and whosoever was not found written in 
the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." 
Rev. 20:11-15. 

This scripture surely ought to bring us to our 
knees and, by the help of the Holy Ghost, search 
our hearts and see if we harbor or possess any- 
thing that would hinder God in writing our names 
in the Boole of Life, for it will be an awful thing 
in the day of judgment to hear the voice of God 
saying, "Depart from me into everlasting fire pre- 
pared for the devil and his angels. !" Matt. 25 :41. 

My dear reader, I hope you may become a 
church member if you are not already. But above 



SALVATION LIGHT. 73 

that I covet for you eternal life through Jesus 
Christ our Lord, and your name written in the 
Lamb's Book of Life. John says, "Hereby we 
may know that He abideth in us by the spirit He 
has given us." And if we have this knowledge of 
His abiding presence we may rest assured our 
names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 
But if you are a church member and never had 
this knowledge or perhaps had it and lost it, do 
not get discouraged ; come to Jesus, let Him make 
your heart right and give you the evidence with- 
in that you are a child of God, an heir to ever- 
lasting life. Oh, what a privilege, what a respon- 
sibility to be a church member, a child of God, 
and how this ought to move us to be active in the 
church and careful in life, and faithful to our 
trust. 

Before leaving this question or theme of 
church membership, we desire to call your atten- 
tion to some things that exist in thousands of 
churches today which are deplorable and no doubt 
a fulfillment of prophecy recorded in Rev. 3:14- 
18. It is not the lack of money and church build- 
ings so much today as it is the lack of a real, genu- 
ine spiritual life in the hearts of many who pro- 
fess to know God. True, there are a host of spir- 
itual people but they are not the majority. Jesus 
also said, "Broad is the way and wide is the gate 
that leadeth to destruction and many there be 
that go in thereat, because straight is the gate 



74 SALVATION LIGHT. 

and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and 
few there be that find it." John in Rev. 22:14- 
16 said, "Blessed are they that do His command- 
ments, that they may have right to the tree of 
life, and enter in through the gates into the city. 
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore- 
mongers, and murderers, and idolaters and who- 
soever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus, have 
sent mine angel to testify unto you these things 
in the churches. I am the root and offspring of 
David the bright and morning star." In 2nd Tim. 
2:19, we are told "The foundation of God stand- 
eth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them 
that are His. And let every one that nameth the 
name of Christ depart from iniquity." Hence, 
since I am a church member and professor of sal- 
vation, it will be necessary for me to be a posses- 
sor also and have within my soul the conscious- 
ness of the Spirit of God bearing witness with my 
spirit that I am a child of the King; hence for 
real definite preaching and real definite teaching, 
and real definite seeking and praying and waiting 
before God until we hear that sweet small voice 
speaking peace to our waiting hearts. And when 
God has so blessed me by His grace I am going to 
be definite in my life and witnessing. And hav- 
ing thus started well, I am going to walk in the 
light, get my eyes off the folks around me and 
center them on Jesus, who loved me and gave 
Himself for me. 



SALVATION LIGHT. 75 

Again, we have heard conservative men make 
the statement that there is hardly a sin committed 
in the world but what the church does the same 
thing, and how often we have been puzzled to 
know just how to tell the difference between a 
church member and a worldling, for they so often 
act just alike. Some time ago we had three 
preachers riding on our train ; one was smoking a 
cigar, one a pipe, and the other a cigarette. I 
thought if I had only one more with his jaws full 
of "Star Plug" or some other brand, I would have 
the thing complete, but if I was one of those 
preachers I would hate awfully to have any of my 
children or Sunday school scholars to see me. 
Now do you think that these preachers are really 
the men you want to teach your children, and are 
they doing the will of God ? A preacher must be 
clean, and that includes me as a church member. 

Again, we have noticed church members who 
gave the church a large number of fans, and on 
the fans advertise their business, so when you 
would look at the fan you saw the man's name 
that gave the gift and also a reminder of what he 
had to sell. Is it right for a church member to 
advertise his business in the house of God ? How 
much better would it be and appropriate to have 
the fans free of advertisement and have printed 
on them something like this: "Prepare to meet 
thy God;" "The wages of sin is death, but the 
gift of God is eternal life ;" "Come unto me all ye 



76 SALVATION. LIGHT. 

that labor and are heavy laden ;" "He that cometh 
unto me, I will in no wise cast out," etc. This 
kind of scripture would bring conviction to the 
careless and glorify God and the Holy Ghost 
could use it to the salvation of souls, but He 
couldn't very well use boots and shoes, groceries 
and a full line of summer gowns. 

Another painful thing we have noticed in the 
church is disobedience or indifference to the re- 
quest of earnest pastors. We can call to mind 
more than one church where the pastor would ask 
his congregation to kneel while he offered a pray- 
er, and only about thirty or, perhaps forty, would 
kneel out of a congregation of four or five hun- 
dred people. If you have so much pride in your 
heart you are ashamed to kneel, you had better 
come to Jesus and let Him take it away. If your 
gown is so expensive you don't want to soil it, bet- 
ter buy a cheaper one, and j^ou will have to give 
to him that hath none. If it is neither pride or 
fine clothes that keeps you from kneeling, and 
somehow it is a lack of courage, go to Jesus who 
is "able to make all grace abound toward you, that 
ye always having all sufficiency in all things may 
abound to every good work." When the preacher 
says, let the congregation stand while we pray, 
both saint and sinner will arise and respect the 
preacher's request. How much more needful for 
the Christian to kneel when asked to do so, since 
it helps the preacher and no doubt pleases God, 



SALVATION LIGHT. 77 

encourages some weak member and strengthens 
your own soul. 

Another thing we have noticed in church mem- 
bers is Sunday travel. We know there are times 
when Sunday travel is necessary, but how often 
do church folks start on a pleasure trip and oft- 
times business trips, when such a thing is not 
consistent with God's Word. We remember, as a 
boy, our parents would not allow so much as the 
splitting of a little kindling wood on Sunday. Ev- 
erything must be done on Saturday, and the Sab- 
bath was reverenced in refraining from any work 
and the usual week day pleasures. While we 
were not a Christian then, yet in after years when 
we did become a Christian, the early training and 
teaching concerning the Sabbath had a wonderful 
effect on our life, for we now seem to have the 
same respect and reverence for the Sabbath our 
parents had. We also remember the same God 
who wrote on tablets of stone, "Honor thy father 
and mother," also wrote, "Remember the Sabbath 
day to keep it holy." Jesus said to the disciples, 
"If ye love me keep my commandments. " In an- 
other place He said, "He that hath my command- 
ments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me, 
and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father 
and I will love him and will manifest myself to 
Him." In still another place He said, "Not all 
that say, Lord, Lord shall enter into my kingdom, 



78 SALVATION LIGHT. 

but he that doeth the will of my Father which is 
in heaven." 

My dear church member friend, if we have 
been careless or indifferent to God's command- 
ments and have not been faithful in His kingdom, 
let us from now on seek His grace and find it and 
go where He would have us go, say what He 
wants me to say, do what He would have me do, 
and be just what He would have me be. And 
when the Church of Jesus Christ will line up and 
walk in all His commandments, we will have a 
church "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and 
terrible as an army with, banners." Amen. 



CHAPTER IX. 

The Word of God. 

I have said many times, both in public and 
private places, that if any one will read the Scrip- 
tures thoughtfully, earnestly and prayerfully, it 
would lead them into a useful and healthy Chris- 
tian life. But when I say thoughtfully, earnestly 
and prayerfully, that means one must be alone 
with God for a few moments and weigh these 
words carefully and let God's Holy 'Spirit impress 
them upon the mind and lodge them in the heart. 
For the Holy Spirit must first have an entrance 
into our hearts and full control of our minds and 
only then can He take of the things of God and 
show them unto us. From Adam on down through 
all ages, the children of men (have been pointed to 
God and His word. The Ten Commandments 
have been given never to be repealed and how 
effectively they point us first to our duty to God 
and then our duty to our fellow man. We are to 
bind them around our necks and place them in our 
hearts, not only to sway our own hearts and lives 
heavenward, but also to be able to teach others 
and rightly divide the word of truth. David said, 
"Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the 
Lord and meditates upon His word day and 
night." He said, "Thy word is a lamp unto my 

79 



80 SALVATION LIGHT. 

feet and a light unto my path and the entrance 
of Thy word giveth light." And how often have 
we 'been blessed in memorizing His word and 
quoting it to others. Again God says, "As the 
rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and 
returneth not thither but watereth the earth that 
it may bring forth and bud, that it may give seed 
to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall every 
word !be that goeth forth from my mouth. It shall 
not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that 
which I please and prosper in the thing whereunto 
I sent it." Whatever the opinion or unbelief of 
man relative to the sureness of God's word, it 
makes no difference, for Jesus said, "Heaven and 
earth shall pass away but my word shall not 
pass away, neither shall one jot or tittle fail but 
all shall come to pass. When Jesus joined Himself 
to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus they 
at first failed to recognize Him and after He made 
Himself known, He opened unto them the Scrip- 
tures and, "beginning with Moses and ail the pro- 
phets, He expounded unto them in all the Scrip- 
tures the things concerning Himself ." How neces- 
sary for the disciples of Jesus to understand the 
Word and how hard sometimes to walk in the 
light unless we have His Word to illuminate our 
understanding and light up, so to speak, our spir- 
itual natures. Every Christian should have a 
keen appetite for the Word of God. The intensity 
of the appetite may differ somewhat at times. 



SALVATION LIGHT. 81 

Jesus in resisting the devil after He .had been 
tempted to make bread out of stones, answered 
him and settled that point once for all in saying, 
"That man doth not live by bread alone, but every 
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God/' 
At another time in speaking to the disciples He 
said, "Search the scriptures for in them ye think 
ye have eternal life and they are they which testi- 
fy of me." 

When Paul wrote of the crucifixion of our 
Lord, he said, "According to the Scriptures." 
When he referred to His burial, he said, "Ac- 
cording to the Scriptures." When he mentioned 
His resurrection, he still clung to the Scriptures, 
When he addressed Timothy, he said, "As a child 
thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are 
able to make thee wise unto salvation by faith 
which is in Christ Jesus." And he adds that 
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God 
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for cor- 
rection, for instruction in righteousness that the 
man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished 
unto all good works." When he wrote to the He- 
brews, he said, "The word of God is quick and 
powerful, sharper than any two-edged swora, ev- 
en piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and 
spirit and joints and marrow and is a discerner of 
the thoughts and intents of the heart." John tells 
us that "In the beginning was the word and the 
word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we 



82 SALVATION LIGHT. 

beheld His glory even the glory of the only be- 
gotten of the Father full of grace and truth." 
This passage of scripture refers directly to the 
divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But in 
Col. 3:16, we are exhorted to "Let the word of 
Christ dwell in us richly, teaching and admonish- 
ing one another in psalms and hymns and spirit- 
ual songs, making melody in our hearts unto the 
Lord." Happy the individual who drinks in the 
word of God and allows his or -her mind to become 
the dwelling place of the scriptures! The Word 
of God in such a case when prompted by the Holy 
Spirit will meet our every need and condition. 
For when the house burns down, He will whis- 
per in our ears, "in my Father's house are many 
mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. 
I go to prepare a place for you." 

Somehow if our efforts in doing good seem un- 
appreciated we are again reminded "not to be 
weary in well doing for in due season we shall 
reap if we faint not." If we are tempted and 
tried, He again picks up the word and tell us 
that "Jesus was tempted in all points as we are," 
and if we will but keep our eyes on Him, He will 
provide a way of escape and spoil the tempter's 
plans. If we lack grace to do what God wants us 
to do, again we are told to "approach the throne 
of grace boldly that we may obtain grace and help 
in time of need." If a spell of laziness seems to 
take hold of us we are again reminded "Be not 



SALVATION LIGHT. 83 

slothful in business, but fervent in spirit serving 
the Lord." If somehow we feel it is our duty to 
run other people's business, we are again remind- 
ed "what is that to thee, follow thou me." When 
somehow our hearts are broken and our very spir- 
its crushed because that which was and is so dear 
to our hearts was taken out of the home in its 
sweet innocency He again comes by our side and 
says, "Suffer little children to come unto me and 
forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of 
Heaven/' and He just keeps on comforting our 
souls by telling us that "In Heaven there shall be 
no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither 
shall there be any more pain for the former 
things have passed away," and He keeps adding 
more comfort by telling us that "these words are 
true and faithful." If we are tested and tried 
we have these words that "in the last days many 
shall be purified, made white and tried." And 
we ought to rejoice that this threefold blessing 
of purification, holy character and tested soul life 
is ours now, to prepare us for the life which 
is to come. If we are tempted and tried and some- 
how the way seems hard, we are informed that 
"blessed is the man who endureth temptation for 
when he is tried, he shall receive a crown of life 
with all them that love His appearing." 

Many people lose out and are often side- 
tracked because of their lack of Bible knowledge. 
Hundreds of people would never have joined the 



84 SALVATION LIGHT. 

"come outers" had they read and listened to the 
Scriptures instead of some mistaken leader. They 
fail to remember that "Christ loved the church 
and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify 
and cleanse it." And since Christ loved the 
church we ought to stay in the church. There we 
can serve Him best and let our light shine the 
brightest. If any one needs to 'be a "come out- 
er" it is the one who fully ignores that sacred 
edifice and who loves worldliness rather than 
godliness. 

We notice in Jesus' life and ministry His cus- 
tom was to go to church on the Sabbath day. Oh, 
how I would love to have had a seat in the syn- 
agogue when He read the Scriptures and after 
handing the book back to the minister said, "This 
day is this scripture fulfilled in your hearing." 
Many have run off into wildfires and fanaticism 
by following wrong spirits because they failed 
to read the beloved John who wrote and said, 
"Try the spirits and see if they be of God." There 
is great danger and no doubt some souls have 
•been shipwrecked by following wrong impress- 
ions, supposing that they came from God, when 
later it was made plain that God had nothing to 
do with it. But after a close examination we 
learn that Satan had been around as an angel of 
light and poisoned our minds and got us side- 
tracked. Beloved, we need to stick to the Word 
and give the Holy Spirit a chance to lead us on 



SALVATION LIGHT. 85 

and up, for He alone is able to keep us on the main 
line to glory, virtue and true holiness. 

God says, "Come and let us reason together," 
and surely all things essential to our salvation 
are so plain and easy to understand that even a 
fool or wayfaring stranger shall not err therein. 
There are some things I do not understand, tout 
thank God for the things I do comprehend and I 
expect to understand more as I grow older. Pe- 
ter speaking and writing of the Apostle Paul's 
epistle said, "In which are some things hard to 
understand which they that are unlearned and 
unstable wrest, as they do also the other script- 
ures unto their own destruction." How foolish 
for a person to reject the iScriptures because they 
cannot understand all. When a boy of nineteen, 
I applied for a position as brakeman and was put 
to work. Suppose I would have stepped down 
and out and said, "I don't want the job because 
there are a great many things about railroading 
I cannot comprehend, I do not understand them." 
Why, no, I took the job and was glad to get it, 
and as I grew older I kept learning and I am 
still learning, and do not pretend to know it all 
yet. However little we may understand or how 
weak our faith may be, let us hang on to the little 
and exercise what faith we have and soon more 
light and greater faith will be ours. God has 
been able by His word and through His spirit to 
lead many safely through to the end and give 



86 SALVATION LIGHT. 

them an abundant entrance into His everlasting 
kingdom, and surely God is calling every man, 
woman, boy and girl to repentance and faith in 
Him that He may prepare and fit them for ever- 
lasting life. Jesus suffered in Gethsemane's gar- 
den. His 'blood dripped from Calvary's cross. 
He tasted death for you, for me. Thank God He 
arose and was lifted up that He might draw all 
men to Himself. Come, let us read His word, 
study it well, treasure it in our hearts, bind 
it around our necks. It will illuminate our minds 
and guide us home to the Father's house. Amen. 

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word. 
What more can He say than to you He hath said, 
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled. 



CHAPTER X. 
The Mind of Christ. 

"Let this mind 'be in you which was also in 
Christ Jesus." Phil. 2:5. 

Paul in writing- to the Philippians or Church 
at Philippi, calls their attention to a grace which 
comes with full salvation and is twofold in its 
nature, for it not only gives the seeker a holy 
heart but also a spiritual mind. For if our three- 
fold make up of spirit, soul and body be preserv- 
ed blameless until Jesus comes again, we must 
be taught, led and governed by that prince of 
minds, the mind of Christ, and to possess the 
mind of Christ would mean to love God with all 
the heart and with all the soul and with all the 
strength and his neighbor as himself. For this 
kind of love worketh his neighbor no evil and if 
we ask the question, who is my neighbor, the an- 
swer comes back, >any one in this wide world who 
may need my attention, sympathy or aid. Hence, 
there was a great divine principle born in the 
heart and life of Paul which not only made him 
effective in the writing of the Epistles and 
preaching of the word, but there remained a 
great desire in his soul that every man, woman, 
boy and girl who professed to know God migiht 
also have a spiritual mind, the mind of Christ. 

87 



88 SALVATION LIGHT. 

I stopped at a friend's house one time and 
was given a drink of cistern water. My friend 
explained to me that the water was pure and free 
from filth. He showed me how the filter on the 
side of the house prevented any dirt from getting 
into the cistern, for as the dirt and water would 
both flow from the outside down to the filter, the 
filter would separate the dirt from the water al- 
lowing the water to flow into the cistern while 
the dirt would be held back and the water thus 
remain pure. I have often thought what a won- 
derful filter a, true spiritual mind is to the soul. 
For when the heart is once cleansed it must be 
kept clean. The mind of Christ is on the alert 
ready to separate the evil thoughts from the good, 
allowing the good things to drop down in our 
hearts and dealing a death blow to evil thoughts 
right on the very threshold of our minds. Thank 
God every child of His can have such a mind, — 
the Mind of Christ. 

The Apostle Peter in writing on this theme 
stirs up our minds by saying, 'Tor as much as ye 
know that Christ suffered in the flesh arm your- 
selves with the same mind ; for He that hath suf- 
fered in the flesh hath ceased from sin." 

Again, the Apostle Paul in writing to the Ro- 
mans, said, "I beseech you therefore brethren by 
the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a 
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which 
is your reasonable service; and be ye not con- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 89 

formed to this world but be ye transformed by 
the renewing of your mind that ye may prove 
what is that good and acceptable and perfect will 
of God. Be of the same mind one toward anoth- 
er ; mind not high things but condescend to men 
of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceit 
for whatsoever was written afore was written 
for our learning that we through patience and 
comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now 
the God of patience and consolation grant you 
to be like minded one toward another that ye may 
with one mind >and one mouth glorify God accord- 
ing to Christ Jesus." A spiritual mind, thank 
Go-d, the Mind of Christ. 

Again, in writing he says to the Corinthians : 
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 
but mighty through God, to the pulling down of 
strongholds, casting down imaginations and ev- 
ery high thinig that exalteth itself against the 
knowledge of God bringing into captivity every 
thought to the obedience of Christ." A spiritual 
mind. 

The prophet Isaiah wrote: "Thou wilt keep 
him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on 
thee, because he trusteth in thee." Also in the 
eighth chapter of Proverbs we have this lan- 
guage : "I was set up from everlasting from the 
beginning or ever the earth was. When there 
were no depths, I was brought forth ; when there 
were no fountains abounding with water. Before 



90 SALVATION LIGHT. 

the mountains were settled, before the hills was, 
I brought forth: While as yet He had not made 
the earth nor the fields, nor the highest part of 
the dust of the world. When He prepared the 
Heavens, I was there; when He set a compass 
upon the face of the depth ; When He established 
the clouds albove; When He strengthened the 
fountains of the deep ; when He gave the sea His 
decree, that the waters should not pass His com- 
mandment; when He appointed the fountains of 
the earth : then I was by Him, as one brought up 
with Him. And I was daily His delight rejoicing 
always before Him." Surely this must have been 
the mind of Christ. 

The Patriarch David wrote: "Blessed is the 
man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungod- 
ly, nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sit- 
teth in the seat of the scornful ; but his delight is 
in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth He 
meditate day and night." Here we notice a per- 
son referred to whose mind is centered as well as 
fixed on God's laws, and David tells us this kind 
of a man is a happy man for he calls him 
"blessed." 

Again stepping over into the New Testament 
and turning to Colossians 3:1, 2, we are exhorted 
to be heavenly-minded, for the Apostle Paul 
wrote: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek 
those things which are above, where Christ sit- 
teth on the right hand of God. 



SALVATION LIGHT. 91 

The Apostle Paul here writes of a spiritual 
mind or nature, which will keep us steady and se- 
cure even though all things temporal may be tak- 
en from us. Joseph must have possessed this 
kind of a mind for we notice in his dealings with 
men as well as women, he was determined to be 
true to Jehovah and give God the glory no matter 
what happened. How tender and sweet his lan- 
guage as he spoke to the butler in (prison whose 
liberty was to come speedily, as again he would 
be restored as the king's cup bearer. And Joseph 
said to him, "But think on me when it shall be 
well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee 
unto me and make mention of me unto Pharaoh ; 
and bring me out of this house, for indeed I was 
stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews ; and 
here also have I done nothing that they should 
put me into the dungeon/' But strange as it may 
seem the butler forgot Joseph and it wasn't until 
Pharaoh dreamed a dream which none of his wise 
men could interpret that the butler (happened to 
tell Pharaoh of how Joseph was able to interpret 
dreams and when Pharaoh sent for Joseph and 
told him his dream, Joseph answered Pharaoh 
saying, "It is not in me. God ^hall give Pharaoh 
an answer of peace." Joseph's mind was fixed on 
God and although he suffered unjustly, yet he 
took it all patiently and the Lord led him on to 
victory and eternal life. 

Again we have often thought of Daniel, a cap- 



92 SALVATION LIGHT. 

tive in a foreign land, bow from the very begin- 
ning he purposed in his heart he would not defile 
himself with the king's meat. He was determined 
to live a clean life and not forsake the teachings 
of his parents or the ways of his God. A band of 
wicked men could not scare him. Neither could 
the king's decree keep him from kneeling down 
before an open window with his face toward 
Jerusalem and pray to the God of his fathers. 
The dark and gloomy recesses of a bloody dun- 
geon, the glaring eyes of ferocious lions, the aw- 
ful stench of human 'gore could not make him 
recant. No wonder while Daniel was passing 
through all this that the king's 'heart was smitten 
with bitter remorse and sleep went from his eyes 
and hastening to the den of lions he cried with a 
lamentable voice, "0, Daniel, servant of the liv- 
ing God, is thy God whom thou servest contin- 
ually, able to deliver thee from the lions?" Then 
Daniel said 'unto the king, "0, King, live forever, 
my God hath sent His angel and hath shut the 
lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me : for as 
much as before him innocency was found in me ; 
and also before thee, 0, King, 'have I done no 
hurt." Daniel a man of prayer, a man of faith, 
"0, Daniel a man greatly beloved." He walked 
uprightly, he lived a simple life; he had a humble 
heart, he was obedient to the will of God. He 
possessed the mind of Christ. 

Again, my heart has often been stirred and 



SALVATION LIGHT. 93 

my faith strengthened and my mind enlarged, as 
I have read and thou'ght of Shadrach, Meshach 
and Abedneg'o. King Nebuchadnezzar had made 
an image of gold and set it ug> in the plain of Dura 
and issued a decree that at the sound of the cor- 
net, flute, harp, sack-but, psaltery, and dulcimer all 
people, nations and languages must bow down 
and worship the Golden Image and any person 
failing to do so would be cast in the burning, 
fiery furnace. But 'Shadrach, Me ! shaeh and 
Abednego refused to bow and worship the graven 
image and when they were summoned before the 
king they answered and said, "Be it known unto 
thee, King^ that we will not serve thy gods nor 
worship the Golden Image which thou hast set 
up." Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and 
the form of 'his visage changed against Shadrach, 
Meshach and Abednego. Therefore he spake and 
commanded that they heat the furnace one seven 
times more than it was wont to be heated. And 
he commanded the most mighty men that were 
in his army bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abed- 
nego and to cast them into the burning, fiery fur- 
nace. And sure enough they cast them in but af- 
ter awhile when the king looked through the iron 
grates he staggered back, a look of alarm and 
consternation spread over his face and turning to 
his counselors he said, "Did not we cast three men 
bound in the midst of the fire?" And they an- 
swered and said unto the king, "True, King." 



94 SALVATION LIGHT. 

And Nebuchadnezzar said, "Lo, I see four men 
loose, walking in the midst of the fire and they 
have no Ihurt ; and the form of the fourth is like 
the Son of God." 

These three Hebrew children could have obey- 
ed the king's edict, they might have lined up with 
a degraded and cowardly populace, they could 
have avoided the firey furnace, but notice, friends, 
their minds were fixed on Israeli's God, the God of 
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Man could make a 
golden image and build a fiery furnace and heat 
it to a white flame and go so far as to throw 
God's faithful followers into it, but "'Lo, another 
steps in, like unto the Son of God" and delivers 
them out of it all. It was a trying hour to stand 
before the king with a death penalty hanging ov- 
er them and say to the king, "We will not serve 
thy gods, nor worship the Golden Image which 
thou hast set up." It must have been a still more 
trying time to stand before the fiery furnace. But 
notice, "they halt not, they stagger not, they re- 
cant not, the favor of the king, the applause of a 
giddy, frivolous world. The penalty of being 
burned to death is nothing to be compared to 
what happened in the fiery furnace. No doubt 
they did not know that their bodies would escape 
an awful death, and I imagine as they walk to and 
fro in the fiery flames I hear the Son of God say- 
ing, "When thou passeth through the waters I 
will be with thee, and through the rivers they 



SALVATION LIGHT. 95 

shall mot overflow thee; when thou walketh 
through the fire thou .shaft not be burned, neither 
shall the flames kindle upon thee." 

Thank God for such men as Joseph, Daniel, 
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The cruel 
hands of Jacob's sons, the enticing words and 
lying lips of a fallen woman, the glaring eyes of 
hungry lions, the devouring flames of a fiery fur- 
nace had no power to drag them down, but rather 
to prove to the world that God has some folks 
that are true, they can't be scared, they can't be 
bought. Joseph passed from a dungeon to the 
governor's chair. Daniel was lifted out of the 
lion's den, and, dwelling on the banks of the 
River Ulai, ihe became the mighty prophet of 
God. The three Hebrew children came forth 
from the fiery furnace, were given positions of 
trust, and Nebuchadnezzar cries out, "Blessed be 
the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego." 
But friends there is a secret to this thing, a hid- 
den treasure, a pearl of great price. Surely it 
must be they had a spiritual mind, — the Mind of 
Christ. 

Before we leave these Old Testament worthies 
and direct your thought to one like unto the Son 
of God, we can't help but see that the grace that 
stands out so prominently in their lives was a 
humble mind. Tthey seemed to be possessed with 
the spirit of humility and that brings us to one of 
the beautiful treasures that dwelt in the mind of 



96 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Christ. He was so high and yet so lowly, He 
so rich and yet so poor ; so bold and yet so meek. 
He left His home in glory, surrounded by angels 
and archangels, cherubim and seraphim. He bade 
farewell for a time at least, to the everlasting 
hills of God where the rich aroma of God's peace 
and love fills the air with perfume rare. He came 
down into a sin-cursed world, took upon Himself 
the form of a servant, went about doing good, on- 
ly to die an ignominious death on the cruel cross ; 
and He did it that He might save every penitent 
sinner, heal every homesick backslider, sanctify 
every heavenward bound believer, and at last 
glorify every blood-washed saint. Again we no- 
tice He was born in a humble place, a manger in 
a stable was His resting place. His mother was a 
humble woman, His father a humble man. I 
imagine that even the cattle in the stalls were 
unusually docile the morning of His birth. There 
must have been a kind of an amen look out of 
their eyes and the cud-chewing must have been 
unusually sweet to their taste. The angels had 
already sung "Glory to God in the highest, and 
on earth peace, good will toward men." How 
wonderfully the Christ spirit will change the 
heart of man, will make him peaceful with his 
fellowman and kind toward the dumb brute as 
well. One of the unpleasant memories and one 
that saddens my soul is the recollections of un- 
kind words spoken to loved ones and friends and 



SALVATION LIGHT. 97 

acts of cruelty administered to dumb animals en- 
trusted to my care. I ask the question, would the 
humble Christ do a thing like that, and the an- 
swer comes back, No. But there is always a ray 
of hope for the one who seeks to do better and we 
hear our Savior say "Go and sin no more." Yes 
He was the humble Christ. He not only was hum- 
'ble in heart, but He taught humility. He said, 
"He that exalteth -himself shall be abased, but 
he that 'humbleth himself shall be exalted. " He 
said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are 
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my 
yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek 
and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your 
souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 
How often have we noticed in God's dealings 
with men, in exalting them to a position of trust 
and honor, He seems to delight to call on men and 
women whom the world does not see. Yea, we 
are told "Not many wise men after the flesh, not 
many mighty, not many noble are called. But 
God hath chosen the foolish things of the world 
to confound the things which are mighty ; and 
base things of the world, and things which are 
despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which 
are not, to bring to naught things that are," and 
the Scripture adds, "That no flesh should glory 
in His presence." If then Jesus Christ was the 
very essence of humility, taught it, preached it, 
and lived it from the cradle to the grave and 



98 SALVATION LIGHT. 

and from His resurrection to His ascension, is it 
not only reasonable to conclude and sensible to 
believe. "He is the same yesterday, today and 
forever," the -humble Christ. 

Let us take another step in this beautiful 
theme and note that His humility was coupled 
With divine love. He was the loving Christ. 
John tells us in the first Epistle 4:19, "We love 
Him because He first loved us." The great com- 
mandment that Jesus gave was "This is my com- 
mandment that ye love one another as I have 
loved you." Jesus the Christ of perfect love knew 
that where divine love rules the 'human heart it 
would put an end to family quarrels, would stop 
the nation from going to war, and would estab- 
lish peace throughout the entire world. We must 
insist that Jesus came to this world in the spirit 
of love, that He taught in the spirit of love, that 
He lived and prayed in a spirit of love that 
He died a hard death because he loved a lost race. 
His love is so great that it can reach the vilest 
sinner, can toudh and fill to overflowing the one 
who has been 'farthest from Him. Bud Robinson 
tells us in one of his sermons that he "loves Evan- 
gelist Will Huff enough to marry him." 

We are told that David's love for Jonathan 
was above that of women. There is a place in 
this present life that everyone of us can attain to 
by consecration and faith in which the TToly 
Ghost will thoroughly purge our heart and fill it 



SALVATION LIGHT. 99 

with divine love, and not until this lakes place 
wiil we be able to love our Lord above everything 
else. The disciples loved the Lord. There was 

something in the way He spoke that touched 

their hearts. There was something in His ac- 
tions that won their confidence, Those who got 
near to Jesus discovered that He was lovrly as 
well as lovable, Yes, the disciples loved Jesus, 
and in order to be with Him and enjoy His pres- 
ence they forsook their occupations, they bade 
farewell to father, mother, brother and sister. 
They left everything that was near and dear unto 
them in order to follow Him, but when their love 
was te&ted, Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied 
Him and the rest of them forsook Him. "But 
Jesus having loved Mis own He loved them to the 
end." Jesus knew that love would cover a mul- 
titude of sins. He knew that love in Its fullness 
would not. waver, and when put to the test it 

would not forsake. So He prays the Father in 

the 17th chapter of John and the 26th verse, 
"That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may 
be in them." But some one will raise the ques- 
tion, Was not the love wherewith the disciples 
loved Jesus divine love? and we answer, "Yes< in 

one sense it was because it was a filial love, and 
Alia) love can be SO used by the possessor as to 
bestow in loving things unrighteous. He has 
poWer, BO to speak, to rule over filial love and cause 
it to love things that God can't love. But Cod 



100 SALVATION LIGHT. 

has a divine love that when we possess it, it will 
possess us, and will bring our filial love in right 
relationship to the God who gave it. Notice the 
change in the disciples when they get this expe- 
rience of perfect love. It was on the day of Pen- 
tecost; something unlovely was taken out of their 
hearts. Peter referring to it afterwards said, 
"Our hearts were purified by faith/' A Roman 
court girl could not scare Peter now: the glit- 
tering swords of Caesar's army ; the threatenings 
of the High Priest; the rattling chains of prison 
walls ; the prospect of a cruel death had no power 
to make them deny or forsake their Lord any 
more. Thank God, Jesus' prayer in their behalf 
had been answered, their hearts were cleansed 
from the man fearing spirit and filled with dWine 
love. So dear reader, that prayer was prayed for 
you and me and still holds good, and if we 'haven't 
already done so, let us help Jesus answer that 
prayer by putting ourselves in such position be- 
fore God so that we may too love Him with all 
the heart and die for Him if need be. 

Then again, we would notice He not only was 
the humble Christ and the loving Christ, but He 
was the patient Christ. Isaiah prophesied of 
Him and said, "He is brought as a lamb to the 
slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is 
dumb, so He openeth not His mouth." Truly in 
patience Jesus possessed His soul. He could 
have acted otherwise but as humility must be 



SALVATION LIGHT. 101 

without pride, and as love must be without dis- 
simulation, so patience must be free of interfer- 
ing with the Father's will concerning Jesus' mis- 
sion in this world. Yea, patience seemed to bri- 
dle or control His every act and thus perform 
her perfect work. He seemed self-possessed at 
every point. When He was reviled, He reviled 
net again ; when He w r as spit upon He could have 
spit back ; when He was apprehended and arrest- 
ed by a howling mob He could have summoned 
twelve legions of angels and they would have 
obeyed Him and destroyed His enemies from His 
holy 'presence. When He was nailed to the cross 
He could have freed Himself, but not so. Jesus 
must be patient in suffering; a lost world was at 
stake. What was the sound of taunts and jeers, 
what was the ingratitude of a graceless world 
compared 'to the exhibition of a sweet spirited, 
self-sacrificing and patient Christ. What deliv- 
erance and power and victory Jesus has brought 
to multiplied 'millions because He was patient 
even unto death. Yes, how many times have we 
misjudged people because we did not take time 
to investigate ; how many times have we said and 
done the wrong thing, because we were not pa- 
tient. How much better it would have been had 
we thought more and said less. 

Perhaps a word, a look yea, ofttimes a silence 
backed up by a holy character would not only 
have sweetened our own life and kept us on good 



102 SALVATION LIGHT. 

terms with the Lord, but who knows what telling 
effect it would have had and how muc'h would 
have 'been accomplished had we been fully pos- 
sessed with divine patience and waited, instead 
of rushing into words and acts, detrimental to 
the cause of Jesus Christ. The Lord help us to 
keep our souls in patience and thus glorify God 
and honor the Holy Ghost. 

But we would take another look at the mind 
of Christ, and not only notice Him as the patient 
Christ, but He was also the aggressive Christ. 
His life was one of service. "He came not to be 
ministered unto, but came to minister to all who 
would have Him." He said, "I must work the 
works of Him that sent me while it is day, for 
the night cometh when no man can work." John 
tells us in his last chapter of his great gospel, 
twenty-fifth verse, "And there are also many 
other things which Jesus did, the which, if they 
should be written every one, I suppose that even 
the world itself could not contain the books that 
should be written." Then he winds up by say- 
ing, "Amen." If we will but read the gospels we 
can see some of the many things He did and no- 
tice every one of them were good works. As He 
passed He drew every one heavenward that was 
willing to go His way. His ear was open to the 
cry of the needy, His heart was touched with 
compassion when He saw the distressed and af- 
flicted. His hand was ready to help and His lips 



SALVATION LIGHT. 103 

were ready to comfort the sad and lonely. I im- 
agine His body must have grown weary ofttimes 
so tired, for He did so much. And to think that 
in the 'midst of His ministry and ministering the 
imasses failed to appreciate His wonderful works. 
As our brother Will Huff has said, speaking on 
the mind of Christ in His boyhood days, "I must 
be about my Father's business." In the closing 
days of His life He said, "I have finished the work 
Thou gavest me to do." 

And this reminds us that God the Father has 
a work for every son and daughter in His king- 
dom, and happy are we if we find our place and 
do our work faithfully. While there are other 
characteristics of the mind of Christ, such as 
the obedient Christ, and other points that have 
been brought to our mind, yet we desire to con- 
clude this article by noticing Him as the victo- 
rious Christ. 

He, our Lord, wa-s master of every situation. 
There was nothing too hard for Him. Obstinate 
cases of long .standing were just as easy for Him 
to cure as new ones just developing. The angry 
seas had to quit their frightful tossing when He 
said, "Peace be still." The raving demoniac sat 
down in his right mind when Jesus bid the de- 
mons depart. The 'burning fever could not stay 
where Jesus placed His hand or where a heart of 
faith could rea'ch His mind. When the woman 
spent all her .money and the physicians all their 



104 SALVATION LIGHT. 

skill, she was healed immediately when she 
touched Him. He could make a lame man walk 
as straight as a saint, and a dumb man shout with 
joy; the blind, crippled, deaf and dead, were made 
to see, hear, walk and live. He could ask ques- 
tions no man could answer, and answer questions 
no man could solve. He knew the end from the 
beginning and which .end to begin on. He had 
the power to do things as well as undo them. He 
could manifest His righteous indignation and 
drive the money changers out of His Father's 
house, and yet weep over a lost world. He could 
line up and condemn a herd of hypocritical priests 
and show them how they were on their way to an 
awful hell, and at the same time move with com- 
passion on a fallen woman and say, "-Go, sin no 
more." He could weep with them that weep and 
rejoice with them that rejoice. He had power 
to lay down His life and power to take it up 
again. He could speak until men would cry out, 
"We never heard man speak as this man." Or 
He could keep silent until His accusers burst out 
with rage, "Answereth thou nothing?" He could 
look sad and at the same time have a joy the 
world knew nothing of. Isaiah said of Him, 
"He shall not fail nor be discouraged until He 
have set judgment in the earth and the isles of 
the sea shall wait for His laws." In John 16:33 
Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, 
that in me ye might have peace. In the world 



SALVATION LIGHT. 105 

ye shall have tribulation ; but be of good cheer ; I 
have overcome the world" ; Yes, He was the vic- 
torious Christ. He came into this world in pov- 
erty and yet left it with untold riches. He came 
in obscurity and left it in publicity. His de- 
scending place was Bethlehem's imanger ; His as- 
cending place was Olivet's mount. The angel 
sang, "Glory to God," when He came, and Zach- 
arias said, "Blessed be the Lord 'God of Israel; 
for He hath visited and redeemed His people and 
raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house 
of His servant David to give light to them that 
sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to 
guide our feet into the way of peace." His life 
was a victorioois one from 'the cradle to the grave. 
Not from an outward observation as the world 
might see it, but ftfom an inward knowledge of 
having done the will of the Father, who sent 
Him. And having performed all things accord- 
ing to the Scriptures necessary for the redempt- 
ion and complete salvation, not only was His 
life a victorioius one from the cradle to the grave, 
far mind you, the gi"ave was not a stopping place 
for our Lord. It was merely a resting place for 
His tired body while His soul made exploits, the 
full extent of which eternity orily, may be able 
to announce. For He came back the third day 
as He said He would, and stepped forth from 
the tomb, the risen Lord, victorious over sin, hell 
and the grave. But when the disciples met 



106 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Thomas and told him, we have seen the Lord, 
Thomas would not believe it, and he answered, 
"Except I shall see in His hands the print of the 
nails, and put my finger into the print of the 
nails, 'and thrust my hand into His side, I will not 
believe. And after eight days again His disci- 
ples were within and Thomas with them : then 
came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the 
midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith 
He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and be- 
hold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and 
thrust 'it into my side ; and be not faithless, but 
believing. And Thomas answered and said unto 
Him, My Lord and my God. Jesus s'aith unto 
him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me thou 
hast believed : blessed are they that have not seen 
and yet believed. And many other signs truly 
did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which 
are not written in this book : But these are writ- 
ten, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, 
the Son of God ; and that believing ye might have 
life through His name." Amen. 



CHAPTER XL 
The Holy Ghost. 

I do not remember of ever hearing the Holy 
Ghost mentioned or referred to, 'but what it made 
an impression on my mind in one way or another. 
And I have noticed this also, that some people 
seem to call Him the Holy Spirit and hardly ever 
use the name Holy Ghost. Again, I have noticed 
that when He is spoken of as the Holy Ghost it 
produces a peculiar feeling of awe and delight to 
my own mind and heart that doesn't accompany 
the term Holy Spirit. Nofw of course, personally 
we believe in using any and all terms which God 
has revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and our heav- 
enly Father also uses the name Holy Spirit, but 
I ask myself the question, why this difference and 
peculiar impression When He is mentioned as the 
Holy Ghost? Again, When we think of Him we 
remember that He is the third person in the Holy 
Trinity. He always was and is, and always shall 
be from everlasting to everlasting. 

We read that in the beginning of creation the 
earth was void and without form and darkness 
covered the deep. It further declares that God*3 
Spirit moved on the waters and God said, "Let 
there be light and there was light." Gen. 1 :2-3. 
Here is the first place He is referred to, and be- 

107 



108 SALVATION LIGHT. 

ginning in Genesis and all through the Scriptures 
He is referred to not only by name 'but what He 
is, and what He does. For through the Holy 
Ghost we have the Holy Scriptures, the Divine 
Word of God. It was the Holy Ghost that pre- 
served the sayings and records of men's lives and 
other happenings, and years cand centuries after- 
ward moved upon holy men of God, inspired them 
to write it down, so that every succeeding gener- 
ation mig j ht profit and receive good. Paul, in 
writing to the Romans, said, "'Whatsoever things 
was written afore, was written for our learning 
that we through patience and comfort of the 
Scriptures might have hope," and 'While the enemy 
of our souls has tried to put the Word out of ex- 
istence, He has utterly failed. For we remember 
Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away but 
my word shall not pass away." And since the 
Holy Ghost has the power to preserve all Script- 
ure and does preserve it, the devil has changed 
his tactics. He seems to have called a halt on 
Bible bonfires and now is working hard to poison 
men's minds, both in pulpit and pew, that this, 
that, and the other statement in God's book is 
not true, and the way false doctrines and satanic 
literature are being scattered over the earth, he 
evidently has possession of many hearts and dic- 
tating through many minds. 

Again, when God said, in His word, "My spirit 
shall not always strive with man," He referred to 



SALVATION LIGHT. 109 

the Holy Ghost. When John on the Isle of Pat- 
mos heard the message to the seven churches and 
listened to the angel say, "He that hath an ear, let 
him hear what the Spirit saith unto the church- 
es," it brought into prominence and put into the 
foreground the Holy Ghost. When Jesus said to 
the disciples, "I will pray the Father and He shall 
give you another comforter/' He had reference 
to the Holy Ghost. He further spoke of Him, 
saying, "How 'be it, when He, the Spirit of truth 
is come, He will guide you into all truth : for He 
shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever he 
shall hear, that shall He speak : and He will shew 
you things to come." Again, "He shall glorify me 
for He -shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto 
you." And since the Holy Ghost has always been 
with the Father and with the Son and knows all 
things, it is a very easy matter for Him to take 
of the things of God and show them unto us. In 
meditating upon this, I have pictured myself 
standing in a large dry goods store with a com- 
petent clerk on the inside of the counter and my- 
self on the opposite side, and looking at the clerk 
reaching up and taking the goods from off the 
shelves, placing them on the counter and showing 
them to me. He seems to know just how to do 
it, even so the Holy Ghost can and does reach into 
the deep things of God. He knows just how to 
take the goods from off the shelves and place them 
on the counter of our hearts, and as he knows our 



110 SALVATION LIGHT. 

every need, He knows just what piece of goods 
to show us. And all we have to do is to step up 
to the counter, pay the price and carry away the 
goods. In the first dispensation we have God the 
Father in the foreground, speaking to and reveal- 
ing His will to mankind, and as many as ooeyed 
Him were led on to victory and eternal life. In 
the second dispensation, we have Jesus Christ in 
the foreground made manifest in the flesh, and 
as many as believed on Him gave He power to 
become the sons of God, even to them that believ- 
ed on His name. But now in the third dispensa- 
tion, we have the Holy Ghost in the foreground 
and His office work is to reprove the world of sin 
and of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin 
because they believed not on Jesus ; of righteous- 
ness because He went back to the Father and we 
would see Him no more; and of judgment because 
the prince of this world is judged. 

The first thing He does is to reveal to men that 
they are lost in sin and on their w r ay to death and 
hell. He not only uses the word of God, and mor- 
tal lips of clay to convict people of their sins, but 
He moves on the mind and heart in such a mys- 
terious way at times that brings an awful spirit 
of distress on the soul, and many a person has 
utterly broken down under such conditions, have 
fled from the wrath to come, confessed it all >and 
by His help made crooked things straight and 
wrong things right. They said yes to God and 



SALVATION LIGHT. Ill 

are now by His grace living a life of peace and 
true happiness. But it took the Holy Ghost to 
do these things, and all honor to Him by what- 
ever instrument or means He uses to bring sin- 
ners to repentance and produce faith in our Lord 
and Savior Jesus Christ, who alone is able to save 
us from our sins and keep us saved. 

Again, when God saves a sinner He intends to 
keep him saved all the days of his life ; hence we 
need instruction and guidance along this line. 
And so the Holy Ghost comes to guide us into 
all truth, for by obeying the Holy Ghost is our 
sonship guaranteed. For the Scripture says, "As 
many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons 
of God." The second thing the Holy Ghost does 
is to lead the converted sinner in paths of right- 
eousness, and show him his need of a perfect ho- 
liness, or in other words, a pure heart cleansed 
from all sin. In like manner, He uses the word 
of God, employs lips of clay, and calls saints to 
witness to the power of the blood of Jesus to 
purify and make holy and preserve blameless, 
spirit, soul and body, until Jesus comes again. 
And as He witnesses to pardon to the repentant 
sinner, so He witnesses to the sanctification of 
every believing and trustful heart. 

Again, the Holy Ghost not only comes to re- 
veal to us our lost condition and sinful state, and 
our need of a full and complete salvation, but He 
comes to give us power to do the will of God. To 



112 SALVATION LIGHT. 

illustrate what we mean is this: when I was a 
sinner and servant of the devil, it wasn't any 
trouble for me to lie, to curse, to steal, etc. Why? 
Because I had the satanic power within me to do 
these very things. But notice. Since I have 
turned my back on sin and Satan, set my face 
heavenward, said yes to God, and by His grace 
stepped out of sin and walked in the light of God, 
He has destroyed the works of the devil, cleansed 
my heart from all sin, and filled it with His own 
divine love, and causes me to walk in His statutes 
and keep His commandments. And since the Hody 
Ghost is the power in my heart to do the will of 
God, I must listen to His voice, let Him keep me 
and set my house in order. He has a way of ar- 
ranging the furniture and placing everything 
where it belongs. In fact, He does it so well I am 
perfectly contented for Him to take charge. It 
seems so good to have Him, He is so delightful. 
He has the cellar filled with the promises of God, 
the kitchen cleansed from all filthiness, the dining 
table set with strong meats and delicious fruits. 
If I go with Him to the sitting room, it is only 
to sit down in heavenly places. When He takes 
me into the library, He shows me the word of 
God. When we climb into the attic I hear Him 
say, "Let this mind be in you which was also in 
Christ Jesus," and when I retire, I find a motto 
in my bed room saying, "Thou wilt keep him in 
perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee." 



SALVATION LIGHT. 113 

Yes, the consciousness of His presence comforts 
my heart, stays my mind, strengthens my soul, 
dispels fear and gives me courage, increases my 
faith, makes hard places easy and rough places 
smooth, causes me to love everybody and hate 
only sin. He puts a hallelujah in my soul ; a shine 
on my face ; a glow in the eye ; and a ring in the 
voice. He directs my walk, regulates my speech, 
makes slumber sweet and life worth living. 

Again, the Holy Ghost attacks sin in all quar- 
ters and especially in high places. He loves all 
men and yet hates all sin. He loves the sinner's 
soul, but abhors sin in any form. He is true to 
God and faithful to his trust. He made Daniel 
brave in the face of death, and caused Felix to 
tremble at the thought of the judgment. He kept 
Joseph true and spotless in the hour of tempta- 
tion, while Saul without Him died in despair. He 
gave to Stephen a serene and perfect peace in His 
last moments, while His enemies gnashed upon 
Him and stoned him to death. Peter without 
Him denied his Lord in the presence of a maid, 
but Peter with Him was not afraid to be crucified 
with his head downward. Samson without Him 
was helpless in the presence of his enemies, but 
Samson with Him could destroy the Philistine 
playhouse and send thousands to the judgment. 
Paul, a stranger to Him, made havoc and perse- 
cuted the Church of Jesus Christ, but Paul in pos- 
session of Him cries out, "It is no more I that live, 



114 SALVATION LIGHT. 

but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now 
live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who 
loved me and gave Himself for me." Before John 
had Him, he craved the most prominent place in 
Jesus' kingdom, but after he received Him, he 
was willing to be banished to the Isle of Patmos 
for the word of God and testimony of Jesus 
Christ. With Him, Jeremiah was able to diag- 
nose his age and look centuries ahead, while the 
careless and indifferent in his day did not know a 
real prophet when they heard Him. Dear Chris- 
tian, have you received the Holy Ghost? 



CHAPTER XII. 
Praising God and Keeping Sweet. 

One of the most beautiful graces that our 
heavenly Father has stored and keeps in stock 
in His house of good things for the children of 
His kingdom, is the gift of divine patience or 
keeping sweet. And if we are really in possession 
of this grace, it will keep us under any and all 
circumstances. For every good and perfect gift 
cometh from above and will do and is just what 
God says and recommends it to be. Isaiah, that 
great prophet, said, "Thou wilt keep him in per- 
fect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because 
he trusteth in thee," and God will never fail the 
heart who fully trusts in Him. And since God is 
the maker and owner of this our mortal body, and 
has 'promised that "all things shall work togeth- 
er for good to those who love Him," why then, 
should we shrink or doubt His ability to keep us 
sweet, no matter what happens? 

We have heard and seen people get angry 
about something and then try and justify their 
action by saying, "This is enough to make a 
preacher swear," when the real fact in the case 
is that the same God that can keep the preacher 
sweet can keep any one else sweet. It works the 
same on both preacher and people. It makes no 

116 



116 SALVATION LIGHT. 

difference whether you are black or white, brown 
or yellow, ric'h or poor, high or low, learned or 
illiterate, employer or employee. It does the 
work, thank God! He can keep us sweet. 

We remember Bud Robinson telling of his 
early Christian life, how he used to drive a balky 
team and when the team would balk, Brother 
Bud could have jerked the lines, yelled at the top 
of his voice, picked up a club and pounded the 
team on the head and backslid, but no, he simply 
picked up his Bible, went to memorizing Scrip- 
ture, and today his face bears the marks of a 
sweet, patient life, and God has wonderfully hon- 
ored him. We are told there is >a scientific way 
of breaking balky horses. Thank God he has a 
way of keeping you sweet when they do balk. 
You may learn the scientific way of breaking 
horses, but it might fail and not work the same 
on all horses, but thank God, His divine Spirit 
of patience works the same on all people and what 
it has done for Bud Robinson it will do for you 
and L We may not all have the same duties to 
perform, but praise God, we can all have the same 
divine patience which will help us perform our 
duties and keep sweet. There is only one place 
where you can get this sweetness — it comes from 
God. There is only one way of keeping it, and 
that is by doing His will. There is only one way 
to make it effective, and that is to live it in our 
everyday life. If the clothesline breaks and al- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 117 

lows the clean clothes to fall in the dirt, we can 
praise God, not because the line broke and the 
clothes got dirty, but because He keeps you sweet 
when it does happen. We can praise Him when 
the house burns down, not because our dear old 
home lies in ashes, but because He keeps us sweet 
when it does burn down. We can praise Him 
when the children are cross and things do not go 
right, not because the children are cross and 
things do not go right, but because He keeps us 
sweet when it does happen. We can praise 
Him when the train is four hours late and we 
miss our connection, not because the train is 
late and we miss our connection, but because He 
keeps us sweet, otl time, late, or no connection. We 
might go on and take up every honorable occupa- 
tion in life and show how God can keep us sweet 
while in our place of duty, but we have only 
thrown out a few hints, for we are confident you 
can make your own application. 

But there is a secret to this thing of keeping 
sweet and that is the thing we want you to get. 
It is useless to tell a man out in the cold to keep 
warm when he hasn't enough clothes on to keep 
him comfortable. It is wasting time to map out 
a hard day's work for a man when he hasn't 
strength enough to feed himself. It is useless to 
ask your wife to pass the sugar bowl when you 
know there is no sugar in it. You will find it im- 
possible to keep sweet within or without unless 
God has filled your "sugar bowl" with divine 



118 SALVATION LIGHT. 

sweetness — the grace of patience. "Ask and it 
shall be given you, seek and you will find, knock 
and it shall be opened unto you, for everyone that 
asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth, and 
to him that knocketh it shall be opened." This 
divine grace of patience is worth asking for. It 
is worth having; it is worth living. Happy the 
man or woman, boy or girl, who by faith in Je- 
sus Christ possesses it. They will be a blessing 
to any people of any community. They may not 
have a nice form or a pretty face, but they will 
have a sweetness of character that will outshine 
all the pomp, pride and glory, of this world. When 
you compliment them they will not be puffed up. 
On the other hand, if you falsely accuse them 
they won't fly to pieces. They have learned how 
to back off and hide behind the cross of Jesus 
Christ and get -a fresh supply in the hour of need. 
Their hope is "built on nothing less than Jesus' 
blood and righteousness.'' They "dare not trust 
the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' 
name." 

Dear reader, our heavenly Father wants to 
impart this divine grace to every child in His 
kingdom, fyr when we get it we will be like our 
Lord who, when He was reviled, He reviled not 
again. When He was falsely accused He took it 
all patiently, for He was meek and lowly in heart. 
Thank God divine patience will make us meek and 
lowly in heart and give us the rest that remain- 
eth for the people of God. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
Why Jesus Came. 

Zechariah tells us in the ninth chapter and ninth 
verse, "Rejoice greatly, oh daughters of Zion; 
shout oh daughters of Jerusalem; behold, thy 
King cometh unto thee: He is just iand having sal- 
vation." 

Again in Malachi, third chapter and first 
verse, we read, "Behold I will send my messenger, 
and he shall prepare the way before me : and the 
Lord whom ye .seek, .shall suddenly come to his 
temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom 
ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the 
Lord of hosts." 

In Luke, second chapter, beginning 'with eighth 
verse, we read, "And there were in the same coun- 
try shepherds abiding in the field ; keeping watch 
over their flock by night and, lo, the Angel of the 
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord 
shone round about them; and they were sore 
afraid. And the Angel said unto them, Tear 
not : for behold, I bring you good tidings of great 
joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is 
born this day in the city of David a Savior which 
is Christ the Lord,' and suddenly there was with 
the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, prais- 

119 



120 SALVATION LIGHT. 

ing God and saying, glory to God in the highest, 
and on earth peace, good will toward men." 

In John 1:11 we are told, "He came unto His 
own, and His own received Him not." In the 
twelfth verse we notice, "But as many as received 
Him to them gave He power to become the sons 
of God, even to them that believe on His name." 

We cannot help but notice as well as feel, as 
each Christmas time rolls around, how many 
hearts are made glad, and how many lives are 
cheered by a little gift and a kind word from a 
friend, a loved one and ofttimes a stranger. And 
how tender in heart it makes us, to look in the 
faces of some of God's poor, especially the little 
folks, as some gift given them in the name of the 
Master is received by them and held tight, and 
the face fairly beams with joy and satisfaction. 
And then again we look at the multiplied millions 
of gifts as they are scattered here and there 
throughout the world. What a power it ought 
to be and will be when given in the right way to 
point us to Jesus Christ the Savior of the world, 
and remind us of the real object of His first com- 
ing. For His first coming was to give Himself a 
ransom for many and deliver us from sin and pre- 
sent unto us an everlasting gift even eternal life." 
Jchn tells us that "He that hath the Son of God 
hath life." So while we are rejoicing over His 
birth and scattering our gifts over land and sea, 
let us be careful to remember the real object of 



SALVATION LIGHT. 121 

His coming and by faith apply His salvation to 
our hearts. For by so doing we will please the 
Father, glorify Jesus and honor the Holy Ghost. 
As long as sin reigns in the heart there will be 
trouble and unrest. 

He came that we might have peace, the kind 
that passeth understanding and has no end. He 
came that we might have life, and that we might 
have it more abundantly. He came that we might 
have grace, the kind that will help us in every 
time of need, and abound unto every good work. 
He came that we might have patience, the kind 
that waits for the salvation of our God and never 
murmurs. He came that we might have victory, 
the kind that presses heavenward and overcom- 
eth the world. He came that we might have hu- 
mility, the kind that vaunteth not itself, is not 
puffed up. He came that we might have love, the 
kind that loves God with all the heart, mind and 
soul, and worketh His neighbor no evil. He came 
that we might have faith, the kind that subdues 
kingdoms and takes God at His word. He came 
that we might have salvation, the kind that frees 
from sin and saves to the uttermost. He came 
that we might have righteousness, the kind that 
makes us right in heart and gives us a conscience 
void of offence, both toward God and man. He 
came that we might have wisdom, the kind that 
comes from above, "is first peaceable, pure and 
gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and 



122 SALVATION LIGHT. 

good fruits, without partiality, and without hy- 
pocrisy." He came that we might have sanctifi- 
cation, the kind that purifies the soul and fills it 
with perfect love. He came that we might have 
redemption, the kind that redeems us from sin 
and makes us a peculiar people, zealous of good 
works. He came that we might have power, the 
kind that sets us going in the work of the Lord 
and keeps us from fainting when the work is 
hard. He came that we might have assurance, 
the kind that makes us know we are right with 
God. He came that we might have joy, the kind 
that undergirds every sorrow, overwhelms every 
grief. He came that we might have rest, the kind 
that still satisfies the soul, when the body is tired 
and worn out. Yes, He came to save us from 
our lost condition and fit us for our eternal des- 
tiny. So to this end we feel impressed to write 
you my dear reader, and let Jesus do for you what 
He came to do, and be in you what He came to 
be, and work out in all of our hearts His great 
salvation, and at last bring us and introduce us 
to a world without end, where sin and sorrow and 
death are no more, but where righteousness and 
peace and joy will never cease. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Contending for the Faith. 

Epistle Jude 3. 

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write 
you of the common salvation, it was needful for 
me to write unto you and exhort you that ye 
should earnestly contend for the faith which was 
once delivered unto the saints." Jude 3. 

In this passage of Scripture, the beloved Jude, 
inspired by the Holy Ghost, desires to stir up our 
pure minds by way of remembrance, that now 
having repented of our sins, and found peace in 
Jesus Christ, we are not to sit around with folded 
arms, expecting to go to Heaven on flowery beds 
of ease; but, we are to bear in -mind, and that 
continually, that Satan, the father of liars, the 
very source of iniquity, is going up and down this 
world, running to and fro, seeking everywhere to 
destroy the works of God in the hearts of men, 
and drag precious souls into an endless hell. And 
then in order to work out our own salvation and 
lead others to the foot of the cross and point them 
to the "Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin 
of the world," and at last hear the father say, 
"Well done, good and faithful servant." Jude 
wishes to impress upon our minds if we expect 

123 



124 SALVATION LIGHT. 

to be partakers of His glory to come, we must 
also be partakers of His sufferings here and now. 
In other words, having sworn allegiance to the 
despised Nazarene, we must out loose from this 
world with all its pomp and glory, "laying aside 
every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset 
us, running with patience the race that is set be- 
fore us," and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, 
"who for the joy that was sat before him, "en- 
dured the cross, despising the shame, and is set 
down on the right hand of the throne of God." 

In John's gospel, chapter 12:10-11, we notice 
Satan is on the lookout and very anxious to stop 
the mouth of those Who witness to the power of 
Jesus to save as well as resurrect. And on many 
occasions and in different ages hais slain multi- 
tudes of men, women and 'children, who acknowl- 
edged Jesus Christ as their Lord, and who rather 
than go back to a life of sin, died a martyr's 
death. But in the end received a crown of life 
that fadeth not away. Thanks be to God for a 
salvation that doesn't end at the graveyard, but 
transfers the soul from a bleeding, torn and tort- 
ured body into the very paradise of God. "There 
shall be no night there and they need no candle, 
neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth 
them light and they shall reign forever and for- 
ever." 

Again in Rev., chap. 2:8-9-10 verses, we hear 
our Lord saying, "Unto the beloved John and 



SALVATION LIGHT. 125 

unto the angel of the church in Smyrna, write 
these things, sayeth the first and the last, which 
was dead and is alive. I know thy works, and 
tribulation and poverty, but thou art rich, and I 
know the blasphemy of them which say they are 
Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of 
Satan. Fear none of those things which thou 
shalt suffer. Behold the devil shall cast some of 
you into prison that ye may be tried, and ye shall 
have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto 
death, and I will give thee a crown of life." 

Then again the Apostle Paul in writing to 
Timothy, said that "all who will live godly in 
Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution ;" ibut he 
goeis a little further and states that "godliness 
is profitable unto all things, having the promise 
of the life that now is, and of that which is to 
come ; having therefore food and raiment, let us 
be content therewith, for they that will be rich, 
fall into divers temptations and into a snare, and 
into many foolish and hurtful lusts which war 
against the soul and drown men in destruction 
and perdition, for the love of money is the root 
of all evil. While some have coveted after, ihave 
erred from the truth and pierced themiselves 
through with many sorrows, but thou, man of 
God, flee from these things, follow after right- 
eousness, love, peace, meekness, fight the good 
fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life whereunto 
thou hast been called and professed a good pro- 
fession before many witnesses/' 



126 SALVATION LIGHT. 

A faithful witness to my mind would be one 
who not only thanks the Father for all material 
blessings, but willing to glorify God by telling of 
any and all works of grace that have been wrou'ght 
in his soul through the shed blood of the Son of 
God. 

We do not remem'ber of any church people 
persecuting us when we 'told of our conversion, 
but persecutions not intentionally nought for have 
come our way when a few years later the Lord 
sanctified our believing heart and filled it with 
the pure love of God. We have often stole away 
to be alone with our Lord, and in trying moments 
poured out our soul unto Him, for them who un- 
derstood us not, that they too might consecrate 
their all to God, and receive the .same comfort 
wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 

Beloved, let us examine ourselves lest there be 
any root of 'bitterness springing up in our hearts 
causing us to think, say and do things that are 
sinful. But rather by the grace of God, "Let us 
lay aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisies 
and envies, and all evil speaking, and as new born 
ba'bes, desire the sincere milk of the word that 
we may grow thereby ;" and let us not forget that 
"by one offering hath He perfected forever them 
that are sanctified. " Whereof, the Holy Ghost 
is a witness unto us," and thank God, He will be 
a witness unto you if you will come and enter 
into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, into a new 



SALVATION LIGHT. 127 

and living way, which He hath consecrated for 
you. Reader do it now. 

We notice the Apostle Peter, in writing to the 
Church, said, "Beloved, think it not strange con- 
cerning the fiery trial which is to try you as 
though some strange thing happened unto you. 
But rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of 
Christ's suffering, that when His glory shall ap- 
pear, ye may be glad with exceeding joy. Where- 
fore, let them who suffer according to the will 
of God, commit themselves unto Him in well do- 
ing, as unto a faithful creator, and when the chief 
shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown 
of life which fadeth not away." 

And the Prophet Malachi tells us that "they 
that fear the Lord spake oft one to another, and 
the Lord hearkened and 'heard, and a book of re- 
membrance was written for Him and for them 
that feared the Lord, and thought upon His 
name;" "And they shall 'be mine," sayeth the 
Lord, In that day when I make up my jewels, 
and I will spare them as a man spareth his son 
that serveth him." 

The Prophet Isaiah, in his vision 'of the suf- 
ferings of Jesus Christ said, "Why art thou red in 
thine apparel?" And Jesus answered back, "I 
have trodden the winepress alone, and of the 
people, there was none with me." And Isaiah 
said, "And I looked and there was none to help 
and I wondered there was none to uphold." Je- 



128 SALVATION LIGHT. 

sus said, "I gave my back to the ismiters, and my 
cheeks to rthem that plucked off the hair. I hid 
not my face from shame and spitting. Therefore 
the Lord God will help me. Therefore have I set 
my face like a flint, for I know that I shall not 
be ashamed." Here we have a pen picture of the 
sufferings of Jesus Christ unto death. A pro- 
phetic view accomplished and fulfilled on the day 
of His crucifixion, when He said, "It is finished." 
Brother, sister, friend ! If the Father for Je- 
sus' sake, has forgiven your sins, tell it. If He 
has 'sanctified your heart and filled it with divine 
love, tell it. And since He has promised to pre- 
serve you blameless, spirit, soul and body, until 
He comes again, let us tell it, for in so doing it 
will please the Father, honor the Son and give 
the Holy Ghost a chance to work through us to 
the saving of some sin^sick soul. But some will 
ask the question, "What is the faith which was 
once delivered unto the saints?" Why, surely it 
means to preach and teach that we are to love 
God with all our heart and with all the soul, and 
with all the mind, and with all the strength, and 
our neighbors as ourselves. "For on these," said 
Jesus, "hang all the law and the prophets." The 
faith which was once delivered unto the saints, 
means that, "God so loved the world that He gave 
His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
on Him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life." It means that we are to preach and to 



SALVATION LIGHT. 129 

teach that "Christ also loved the Church and gave 
Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse 
it with the washing of water by the word that 
He might present it unto Himself a glorious 
Church not having spot or wrinkle, or any such 
thing, but that it sihould be holy and without 
blemish." It means to preach and to teach that 
"the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath 
appeared to all men, teaching us that denying un- 
godliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly 
and righteously and godly in this present world, 
looking for that blessed hope and the glorious ap- 
pearing of the great God and of our Savior Jesus 
Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might 
redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Him- 
self, a peculiar people zealous of good works." 
It means to teach and to preach that "God is long 
suffering, not willing that any should perish but 
that all should come to repentance and be saved." 
It means to teach and to preach that if any man 
sin, we are not to get discouraged and keep on 
backsliding, getting farther away from God and 
heaven and happiness, but we are to repent of 
our wrong doing. For Jesus is the propitiation 
for our sins, and, "If we confess our 'sins He is 
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to 
cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It means 
to preach and to teach that while God is long suf- 
fering, yet "His Spirit will not always strive with 
man," for, "The day of the Lord will come as a 



130 SALVATION LIGHT. 

thief in the ni^ht, in which the heavens shall pass 
away with a great noise. The elements shall 
melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the 
works that are therein shall be burned up. See- 
ing that all these things shall come to pass, what 
manner of persons ought we to be in all holy con- 
versation and godliness? Looking for and has- 
tening unto the day of God, wherein the heavens 
being on fire shall be dissolved, the elements shall 
melt with fervent heat, nevertheless we, according 
to His promise look for new heavens and a new 
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Beloved, 
seeing that ye 'look for these things, be diligent 
that ye may be found of Him in peace without 
spot and blameless." The faith which was once 
delivered unto the saints means, to "pray without 
ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is 
the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 
Quench not the 'Spirit, despise not prophesyings, 
prove all things, 'hold fast that which is good, ab- 
stain from all appearance of evil, and the very 
God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God 
your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved 
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus 
Ohrtet" 

Some people have been wonderfully blessed 
and greatly stirred through the incoming of the 
Holy Spirit, and for a while they have run well. 
Their future seemed bright and in fact, they had 
everything in their favor to live and continue in 



SALVATION LIGHT. 131 

the way of life, but alas, through disobedience 
or carelessness, sin crept into the heart and to- 
day they are down and out away from God, even 
speaking against and denying the Son of God who 
still loves them and calls them 'back to the Fa- 
ther's house. 

Beloved, if any of us have drifted away from 
God and lost His love out of our hearts and even 
spoken against the faith which was once delivered 
unto the saints, let us see to it at once, that we 
make all necessary restitution and with a truly 
repentant spirit come to God and ask Him to for- 
give us and once more make us entirely His. 
Let us determine by the grace of God that from 
henceforth we will live for Him who died for us. 
How happy then our lives will be. 

Again the faith which was once delivered to 
the saints, means to "work While it is day, for the 
night cometh," says Jesus, "when no man can 
work." Hence, "Let us not be weary in well do- 
ing for in due season we shall reap if we faint 
not." Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm 
the feeble knees, Say to them who are of a fearful 
heart, "Fear not, behold your God cometh with 
vengeance, even God with a recompense. He will 
come and save you." Therefore, let us who want 
to follow Him take up our cross daily, doing 
only those things that are pleasing in His sight, 
confessing Him before men in word, deed and 
act. Letting Him shine through us to the end 



132 SALVATION LIGHT. 

that He may be able to bless some poor struggling 
soul and lead it to Himself, the fountain of life 
and everlasting peace. Again the faith which 
was once delivered to the saints means to "follow 
peace with all men and holiness without which no 
man shall see the Lord." There are a great many 
things in this world which are good in themselves 
and might do no harm to possess, but I don't need 
them to carry me to Heaven. But one thing I 
want and one thing I need is a heart cleansed 
from sin and filled with the pure love of God. I 
don't have to ;be rich in this world's goods, but 
I must have a holy heart. I don't need much 
ability, but I must have a 'holy heart. I don't 
have to be popular, but I must have a holy heart. 
I don't have to be good looking, but I must 
have a holy heart. I don't have to be 
conversant with politics, or even under- 
stand higher criticism, but I must have a 
holy heart. I don't have to belong to the official 
board, or sing in the choir, or be able to speak, 
testify or pray like others, but I must have a holy 
heart. How simple then the way, and how ten- 
derly God is calling us, for "as a father pitieth 
his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear 
Him." 

I remember when I was a boy of twelve, I got 
very angry and did and said things one morning 
which caused me to feel very badly and after it 
was over, I was so sorry I had acted that way. I 



SALVATION LIGHT. 133 

went to my father and asked him to forgive me. 
And what did he do? Why, he was just waiting 
and anxious to have me come and he lorgavt. 
me, and the Scriptures say, "If we confess our 
sins, He — the Lord — is faithful and just to for- 
give us." And if a true Christian father and 
mother will remove everything from the home 
life that might cause the children any harm, how 
much more will our Heavenly Father remove 
from our hearts the sin that doth so easily beset 
us and fill it with His Holy Spirit. 

Let us look at this matter seriously as though 
we were on our death bed ready to be ushered into 
the presence of God. We will want it then. 
Let's get it now. Whatever may be the short- 
comings of others, even that of the writer, re- 
member it is God's will that you should have it. 
Jesus Christ died that I might get it and the Holy 
Ghost is 'here now to lead us into it. Even so, 
Amen! 

In conclusion, whatever the cost, or whatever 
the trial, or whatever the test, or how rugged and 
hard the path, let us be true to God and bear in 
mind, He knows the way and will guide us safely 
to the end. When Christopher Columbus and his 
associates set sail in hope of discovering a new 
continent, and after they had spent days and 
nights with no land in sight, struggling and toil- 
ing day after day and night after night, tired in 
body, weary in mind and homesick in heart, they 



134 SALVATION LIGHT. 

turned to Columbus and begged him to give up * 
and set sail home from Whence they came. But 
Columbus with faith in his heart, and unwilling 
to turn back, cried out, "Sail on, sail on," and 
they sailed on with still no land in sight. And 
they begged him again to give it up and turn 
back, but Columbus cried out, "Sail on, sail on!" 
and at last they 'became desperate and threatened 
to go into mutiny and make him a prisoner. But 
Christopher Columbus cried out, "Sail on, sail 
on," until finally the hills and valleys of a new 
country burst in on their vision. That was a 
happy day, but Christopher 'Columbus had a hard 
struggle in getting through. 

Friends, we will encounter many difficulties 
in our voyage from earth to heaven, rough days 
and hard nights will come our way. But "Sail 
on, sail on." Some will say in the hour of de- 
spondency, "Turn back and give up the struggle," 
but brother, "Sail on, sail on." Remember the 
Captain of our ship is Jesus Christ, and some 
day the Heavenly Jerusalem will burst in on our 
sight and What a happy time that will be. 

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write 
unto you of the common salvation, it was needful 
for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye 
should earnestly contend for the faith which was 
once delivered unto the saints." 



CHAPTER XV. 
Corner Stones. 

But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of 
God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, 
and sanctification and redemption." 1 Cor. 1 :30. 

In this verse of Scripture we find four great 
'corner stones of divine grace, all of which are 
receivable by faith in Jesus Christ, He being 
the chief corner stone, and the gateway that leads 
to wisdom and righteousness and sanctification 
and redemption. And I have thought that if I 
had these four great corner stones in my "soul- 
house" I would have a foundation upon which to 
build my superstructure that would be able to 
withstand any and all storms, floods, and earth- 
quakes of life. And why? Because it is a foun- 
dation of God not made with hands eternal in the 
heavens, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief 
corner stone and master builder. 

We are taught in God's word that the wisdom 
of this world is foolishness with God, for it is 
written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise 
and will bring to naught the understanding of the 
prudent." 1 Cor. 1:19. iSolomon says, 'The 
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom ; if 
thou seekest her as silver and seanc'heth for her 
as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand 

135 



136 SALVATION LIGHT. 

the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of 
God." We were once appointed to care for and 
audit some accounts. We made a mistake some- 
where and the accounts would not balance. We 
added and subtracted; figured and counted; in 
other words we 'became desperately in earnest 
and firmly decided we would not give up until we 
found the error. Now, what God wants us to do 
is to get desperately in earnest about our soul's 
salvation. Figure the cost of a lost soul; lay 
aside our wisdom of foolishness — which is sin — 
and by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ have 
implanted in our "soul house" the wisdom that 
cometh from above, which is first pure, then 
peaceable and gentle, and easy to be entreated, 
full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality 
and without hypocrisy." This is the kind of wis- 
dom God gives. It is the kind that "vaunteth not 
itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself un- 
seemly, thinketh no evil, is not easily provoked, 
rejoiceth not in iniquity but reioiceith in the truth, 
beareth all things, believeth all things, liopeth all 
things, endureth all things." Yes, it takes away 
pride, strut and all such like and makes us hum- 
•ble in heart and patient in life. But the trouble 
is we tried to understand it before we got it, when 
the fact is, we didn't understand it until we did 
get it, and we are to understand it better by and 
by. Hence the wisdom of God will lead a peni- 
tent, sinsick soul into the experience of regener- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 137 

ation, and not until then is he entitled to be filled 
with the wisdom that cometh from above, which 
means full salvation. Paul in writing to Timo- 
thy, said, "As a child thou hast known the Holy 
Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto 
salvation through faith which is in 'Christ Jesus." 
The second great corner stone is righteousness 
and this righteousness coupled with divine wis- 
dom, will bring about an immediate and radical 
change from wrongness to rightness, making 
things right with God and God making us right. 
For the righteousness of God is more than man's 
moral right living. Remember Jesus said to some 
folks, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of 
the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise 
enter into the kingdom of God." And we are di- 
vinely informed in God's word that His kingdom 
is not meat and drink, such as the world runs 
after, but is "righteousness, peace and joy in the 
Holy Ghost." If the Pharisee while praying in 
the temple had been in possession of divine right- 
eousness, He would not have said, "I thank thee, 
Lord, that I am not as other men are, extortion- 
ist (and perhaps bootleggers and cigarette 
fiends) , no not even like that publican sinner over 
there beating his breast, and then you know Lord 
I am paying you well and I fast often. I tell 
you Lord, I want you to take notice that I do 
things." No, such would not have been his pray- 
er, but it would have been of a different character 



138 SALVATION LIGHT. 

coming from a humble heart, exalting God and 
helping the poor publican pray through and re- 
joicing with him in finding peace and pardon to 
his troubled soul. 

Again, this great corner stone placed in your 
"soul house" by the master builder Jesus, will 
set you and me to work to make things right with 
our fellow man as near and as fast as we can. We 
will square up old debts, some we may never be 
able to pay, death and other circumstances may 
prohibit our doing all we would desire along this 
line, but since we have gotten right with God, it 
is only natural with us now to desire to be right 
with our fellow man and from now on as we get 
more 'light we will not yield ourselves unto sin 
but rather yield our members unto God and right- 
eousness. It will not be a question so much of 
how much money I 'can make, but will it be right 
for me as a Christian to do this, that, or the other. 
And if we will just take time to lay the matter 
before the Lord, He will show us the way and 
supply the grace to do the right thing. Would 
it be right for me to sell a balky, vicious 
horse and not fully explain to the buyer that the 
horse in question has some bad or treacherous 
habit? Who would be guilty should the horse 
kick to death or runaway and hurt some one who 
knew nothing of his bad habits? Would it be 
right for me as a business man to link myself with 
a business that deceives and misrepresents in or- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 139 

der to get profit? Would it be right for me to 
reprove and whip my child for using tobacco and 
at the same time use it myself? Would it be 
right for me to spend my money with the -devil's 
crowd, when from all quarters of the earth peo- 
ple are calling for help to push the kingdom of 
righteousness? Would it be right for me to in- 
vest my money in a place of business that dese- 
crates the holy Sabbath? Would it be right for 
me to see a person in hunger or distress and re- 
fuse to help them? Would it be right for me to 
turn my back and refuse to speak to some friend, 
neighbor or loved one because they said or did 
something I couldn't approve ? Is it right for me 
to do a thing that will mar the true happiness 
of others, bring leanness to my own soul and bit- 
ter remorse in the end ? In short, is it right for 
me to harbor or let any sin remain in my heart 
since J'esus shed His precious blood to cleanse it 
out? And since Jesus came and suffered to save 
us from our sins, let us in all things, "Seek first 
the kingdom of God and His righteousness," 
get rid of sin, and by His grace live a life of 
righteousness. 

The third great corner stone in the text is 
sanctification. Now the term sanctify or sancti- 
fication has a double meaning. Its primary 
meaning is to set apart to a divine or holy use, 
such as we read in the Old Testament where cer- 
tain vessels in the sanctuary were set apart to be 



140 SALVATION LIGHT. 

used in the temple services. But the spiritual 
and mare blessed meaning to me is Where it is 
used in meaning the purification of our spirits, 
or in other words the cleansing of our hearts 
from all sin, which means destruction of the "old 
man" or carnal nature, and we become partakers 
of the divine nature having escaped the corrup- 
tion in the wor'ld through lust. 2nd Peter 1:3, 4. 
In 1st Peter 1 :2, we read, "Elect according to the 
foreknowledge of God the Father, through sancti- 
fication of the spirit/' and Peter referring to the 
sanctification of Cornelius and his people, tells 
us in Acts 15:9, "Their hearts were purified by 
faith." Paul tells us in 1st Thess, 4:3, "This is 
the will of God even your sanctification, that ye 
should abstain from fornication. " In the same 
epistle, 5:23, he writes, "And the very God of 
peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your 
whole spirit sand so-ul and body be preserved 
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus 
Christ." And if you have any doubt that you are 
not included and that God is not calling you, read 
the next verse: "Faithful is He that calleth you, 
who also will do it." In John 3 :16, we read that 
"God so loved the world that He gave His only be- 
gotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him 
should not perish but have everlasting life." In 
Eph. 25:26-27, we read that "Christ also loved 
the Church and gave Himself for it, that He 
might sanctify an] cleanse it by the washing of 



SALVATION LIGHT. 141 

water by the word, that He might present it unto 
Himself a glorious Church not having spot or 
wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be 
'holy and without blemish." Again when the be- 
loved Jude in writing his epistle, said, "Jude the 
servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to 
them that are sanctified by God the Father, and 
preserved in Jesus Christ, and called, mercy unto 
you and peace and love be multiplied." In John 
seventeenth chapter, Jesus uses the word " sanct- 
ify" in its double meaning. He said, "I sanctify 
myself," that is setting Himself apart as an of- 
fering for sin that His disciples and whosoever 
should hear and believe might have the spiritual 
side of it, sanctified wholly and preserved blame- 
less, spirit, soul and body, until Jesus comes again. 
And as Evangelist Will H. Huff 'has said, "This 
sanctification includes about all there is of us." 
This beautiful term sanctification has met with 
bitter opposition, not as a rule by folks outside 
of the Church but from people in the Church. 
When Jesus came to this world He did not meet 
with ,so much opposition from the outside. It is 
true they did not understand Him, but it says, 
"He came unto His own and His own received 
Him not." Some today oppose sanctification be- 
cause they do not understand its meaning; some 
because their pastors do not preach it and per- 
haps no one in the congregation professes it; 
some because they 'have been taught that you can't 



142 SALVATION LIGHT. 

get it until you die ; some because some one who 
claimed to have it did not live it, and yet others 
simply because somebody else has opposed it. But 
brother, 'sister, friend! Let us be honest for 
once and all time, to come and get at the root of 
all this opposition and acknowledge the fact that 
there is a sin principle, a carnal mind, a some- 
thing within my unsanctified heart that fights and 
opposes and dodges this beautiful experience of 
sanctification receivable by faith and consecra- 
tion through the blood of Jesus Christ, whereby 
God the Father through the powder of the Holy 
Ghost purifies the heart from all sin and fills it 
with perfect love. But before you get this expe- 
rience, you will have to lay aside your opposition, 
cease your fighting, quit your dodging, and leave 
behind your doubtings. We need not fear God 
will not force this experience upon us or drive 
us into it. But I am sure He will demand it, when 
we come to meet Him at the great white throne. 
Oh! how can I as a 'Christian, afford to oppose 
God's will, for, "This is the will of God even my 
sanctification. " How can I any longer treat this 
matter carelessly, since it cost Jesus His life that 
I should have it, and what excuse or reason can I 
offer for trifling with the Holy Ghost, since He so 
sweetly and tenderly is calling me now. 

Again, when God sanctifies a soul, that does 
not mean we will not be tempted. No doubt we 
will be tempted more than ever, but we will have 



SALVATION LIGHT. 143 

more light and greater power to resist the tempt- 
er. It does not mean we cannot sin, or in other 
words, are not liable to sin, bait there will be 
given unto us a clearer vision to discern the ap- 
proach of sin and a closer walk with God that 
will help us to keep clear of it. Somehow we 
will receive a 'blessedness in the soul we never 
knew before, and a longing to »be more and more 
like our Lord Jesus Christ. And ishould one of 
us grieve the Holy Spirit, how quick we know 
it, and what pain it brings to our well instructed 
soul, and as a rule what hurrying back to the for- 
giving and cleansing grace of our Heavenly Fa- 
ther. For just as truly as one can, through dis- 
obedience or neglect, lose their justified experi- 
ence, even so through neglect or disobedience, 
can we lose our sanctified experience. John Wes- 
ley tells us, "It requires a greater degree of 
watchfulness to retain the perfect love of God 
than it does to remain in our justified experience." 
His statement looks reasonable, for Satan delights 
to tempt, persecute and misrepresent. Yes, to 
use every means possible to discourage those Who 
are entirely the Lord's. And let those be careful 
who have named the name of Ohrist and who 
have not entered in the experience of entire sanc- 
tification. Yea, be watchful lest Satan so blind 
them that somehow they will not care to go where 
real definite and genuine holiness is preached, 
sung and taught, for Satan will make sanctifica- 



144 SALVATION LIGHT. 

tion look impossible here in this present life. Ho 
delights to call it fanaticism and to misrepresent 
it in every possible way. He will sneer at the 
folks who have it and call them the "goody-goody 
people" ; "the Church splitters" ; "the folks that 
think they cannot sin" ; and many other similar 
and false names. He will use any little imper- 
fection a sanctified soul may possess and tell it all 
over the neighborhood. He will pick up anything 
and everything that looks unlovely and charge it 
to sanctification. He desires to 'heap on and cover 
up the beautiful meaning and blessing of sanctifi- 
cation, so you will never see it and make it look 
so repulsive to you that you will not want it. But 
thanks be to God ! He wills it ; He desires that 
you and I shall have it now. If we havn't got it, 
let us get it at once. If we had it once and have 
lost it, let us come to Jesus and get it back again. 
If we never had any desire for it and do not feel 
our need of it, let me say to you in all kindness, 
it will be time well spent to examine your heart 
carefully. Be much in prayer and meditate upon 
the word of God. It will pay you to neglect some 
minor duties if necessary, in order to do these 
things. And remember, Jesus said, "Every one 
that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, 
>and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." 
And He further states, "If ye ask anything ac- 
cording to my will I will do it." Oh, how sweet 



SALVATION LIGHT. 145 

then to know in our own hearts that "This is the 
will of God even your sanctification." 

Taking the fourth and final step into the text 
we note that Jesus has become our redemption. 
He sheds His blood on Calvary, pays the price 
for our salvation and cries out, "It is finished," 
gives up the ghost, commends His spirit to the 
Father, takes His flight only to return, and thank 
God ! He came back the third day, the resurrected 
Christ, the hope of glory, walked this old earth 
for forty days, spoke cheer and peace to aching 
hearts, told the disciples to tarry <at Jerusalem un- 
til they received the promise of the Father, and 
then to go out and preach the glad tidings of a 
risen Lord — a full salvation. "And lo, I am with 
you always, even unto the end of the world," and 
when He had finished while they belheld, He was 
taken up and a cloud received Him out of their 
sight. And today He sits at the right hand of 
the Father where He does intercede for every sin- 
sick soul, and breaks the bread of life to every 
hungry heart. And how careful we must be not 
to teach anything less than a blood redemption. 
For wherein the blood of bulls and goats was un- 
able to destroy sin, the blood of Jesus was and 
is, When applied by faith, able to cure and make 
the foulest clean. And how blessed such words 
of the song, "The blood has never lost its power ; 
no never, no never." Again, "What can wash 
away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." 



146 SALVATION LIGHT. 

And then algain, "The blood, the blood, is tall my 
plea. Hallelujah, it cleanseth me!" And still 
again : 

"There is -a fountain filled with blood, 

Drawn from Emmanuel's veins, 
And sinners plunged beneath that flood, 

Lose all their guilty stains. 
The dying thief rejoiced to see, 

That fountain in his day, 
And there may I, though vile as he, 

Wash all my sins away." 

And what shall we say to all this 'heavenly 
song : Namely, this, my 'hope is built on nothing 
less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare 
not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on 
Jesus' name. Jesus Himself said in John 6:56, 
"'He that eateth my flesh and drinkdth my blood, 
dwelleth in me and I in Him." 

Again, when alone with His disciples He took 
bread iand when He (had given thanks, He brake 
it and said, "Take, eat, this is my body which is 
broken for you. This do in remembrance of me." 
In like manner He took the cup and when He had 
supped, saying, "This cup is the new testament in 
my blood ; this do as oft as ye drink it in remem- 
brance of me." For just as truly as we by faith 
do eat of the broken body of our Lord and in like 
manner by faith drink of His shed blood ,we re- 
ceive from Him life and food for the spiritual 



SALVATION LIGHT. 147 

man, and a blessed consciousness of pleasing the 
Father, making glad the heart of Jesus the Son 
and 'honoring the Holy Ghost. Again, the word 
"redemption" carries with it a two-fold blessing 
in that we are redeemed from sin and saved to sin 
no more. While it is an awful thing to live in 
sin and be bound down and a subject of Satan, 
yet what hope and glorious news to hear that 
Jesus paid the price to liberate us from the devil 
and His power and can set us free. For "If Christ 
shall make you free, then are ye free indeed." 
And Whait a sweet and comforting thought to 
know I do not need to go back and serve the devil 
any more, but steadily and faithfully keep my 
eyes on Jesus my Redeemer, and where He leads 
me I will follow, and where He sends me I will 
go. But some one will say, supposing I slip and 
get down again, become discouraged, lose out, 
etc. ? Ail we can say is that if we obey Satan and 
fall, remember he was planning our fall, but God 
is always planning for us to stand true. And 
remember, He is greateir than the devil, and if we 
will confess our wrongs and get our eyes off of 
self and Satan, and by faith look to Jesus, He 
will lift us up and set us free again, and restore 
to us the joy of His salvation. 

When we think of the great price that Jesus 
paid for our redemption, and the great grace He 
has and does supply to every earnest isoul, how 
careful and diligent we ought to be in searching 



148 SALVATION LIGHT. 

the Holy Scriptures which is to fee our guide unto 
all truth, and since the Father is more willing 
to give us the Holy Spirit than parents are to 
give their -children bread, what doth hinder me 
from being His entirely now and forever more, 
being led on by His word and the Holy Ghost 
into all spiritual understanding. 

Again, Peter tells us in the 1st Epistle, 2:18, 
"'For as much as ye know that ye were not re- 
deemed with 'corruptible things, such as silver and 
gold, from your vain conversation received by 
tradition from your fathers, but with the precious 
blood of Christ as ia lamb without spot and with- 
out blemish." Paul takes up the same theme in 
writing to Titus when he said, "Who gave Him- 
self for us that He might redeem us from all in- 
iquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, 
zealous of good works." Hence, Jesus has become 
our redemption, to release us from sin, make us 
entirely His, so that from henceforth the devil 
lostes all claim and title to either spirit, soul or 
body. For these three have been bought with a 
price and the price was so great and the transac- 
tion sjo complete that it includes every sinner, no 
matter how low, how mean, how far away from 
God. The question is, will you come? "And the 
Spirit and the bride say come, and let him that 
heaneth say come, and let him that is athirst 
come, and whosoever will, let him come and take 
of the water of life freely." Rev. 22:17. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
Leadership. 

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the 
Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and 
the dead at His appearing tand His kingdom; 
preach the word; be instant in season, out of 
season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long- 
suffering and doctrine. For the time will come 
when they will not endure isound doctrine; but 
after their own lusts shall they heap to them- 
selves teachers, having itching ears; and they 
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and 
shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in 
all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an 
evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." 2nd 
Timothy 4:1-6. 

In reading the above Scripture, we are brought 
face to face, not only with the responsibility of 
one, called as a leader, but 'Correspondingly so 
with those who have the privilege to hear. While 
God is calling men to preach the Word with pow- 
er and not to be afraid of faces ; He is also calling 
men and women of the rank and file of the Church 
to be careful what they hear, and how they hear : 
"For if the Word spoken by angels was steadfast, 
and every transgression and disobedience receiv- 

149 



150 SALVATION LIGHT. 

ed a just recompense of reward, "'how shall we 
escape if we neglect so great salvation." 

When the crumbling walls of the Philippian 
j'ail struck terror to the keeper's soul, and think- 
ing he would be called to account for any fleeing 
prisoners, he was about to take his own life. Then 
Paul and Silas, two men filled with the Holy 
Ghoist, spoke peace to his troubled mind, saying, 
"Do thyself no harm," and they speaking and he 
hearing, cried out, "Sirs, what must I do to be 
saved?" and they answered back, "Believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy 
house." It is a fact that today we have many 
faithful men and women who are true to God and 
serving Him, we believe, with all sincerity. In 
this article we are not saying that they all see 
things just alike, but we do insist there is no 
fight in their hearts against the will of God but 
are reaching and pressing forward to be like our 
Lord Jesus and saying with emphasis, "Thus saith 
the Lord." 

Jesu's said, "I am the door: by me if any man 
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and 
out and find pasture." David testified and said, 
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He 
maketh me to lie down in green pastures ; He 
leadeth me beside the still waters; He restoreth 
my soul ; He leadeth me in the paths of righteous- 
ness for His name's sake." The prophet Habak- 
kuk wrote, "Although the fig tree shall not bios- 



■SALVATION LIGHT. 151 

som, neither shall fruit be on the vines ; the labor 
of the olive shall fail, the fields shall yield no 
meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and 
there shall be no herd in the stall, yet I will re- 
joice in the Lord ; I will joy in the God of my sal- 
vation." (Solomon, in speaking of the leadings 
and blessings of God, said, "I sat under his shade 
with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my 
taste; 'he brought me to the banqueting house, 
and His banner over me was love." The Apostle 
John in his writings wrote: "Behold, what man- 
ner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, 
that we should be called the sons of God." In 
another place he wrote, "Love not the world, 
neither the things that are in the world. If any 
man love the world the love of the Father is not 
in him, for all that is in the world, the lust of the 
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of 
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world," 
Again Jesus said, "If any man serve me, let him 
follow me, and where I am there shall also my 
s'ervant be; if any man serve me him will my 
Father honor." 

In Isaiah 55 :4, he refers to the coming lead- 
ership of Jesus and says, "Behold, I have given 
Him for a witness to the people, a leader and com- 
mander to the people." I have often thought of 
the many different leaders in church life, every 
one of them claiming to be right and yet ofttimes 
such a marked difference in teaching and explain- 



152 SALVATION LIGHT. 

ing of the Scriptures. Some placing special em- 
phasis on some Bible truth, one not essential to 
salvation and then again perhaps cover up or fail 
to see some great Bible truth which one must see 
and teach in order to keep on the main line lead- 
ing to salvation and eternal happiness. I believe 
the devil is quite busy trying to get us side-track- 
ed on some non-essential line, and he doesn't care 
how many "round trips" we make, or how often 
we double our little "spur track," just so we 
keep off the main line. When God's heavy train 
of repentance, faith and full salvation comes roll- 
ing down the main track, let us at least get 
aboard and hang on until we can get a good seat, 
or in other words, a better understanding in di- 
vine things and what the will of the Lord is con- 
cerning us. Then again I have thought what a 
blessing might come to this world if leaders of all 
denominations and religious beliefs would meet 
at some appointed place and agree to spend at 
least three hours in earnest prayer before the God 
of heaven and while the leaders were thus in 
prayer the balance of Christendom would as far 
as possible, pray God to give His Holy Spirit to 
help the brethren in convention to see all things 
essential to salvation, just alike. I am sure if a 
convention of this kind would take place a great 
blessing would sweep over this world and per- 
haps we wouldn't have a half dozen churches in a 
little village with only a few in each church, but 



SALVATION, LIGHT. 153 

we could have ministers enough and members 
enough to pay the pastors and evangelists what is 
due them. For the laborer is worthy of 'his hire, 
and surely God's ministers ought not be compell- 
ed to go around begging, since the membership 
has plenty and a great many live in palatial 
homes. But turning back to some Bible truths. 
For instance, tihere is the doctrine of water bap- 
tism. Now brother you can get to that place 
where you can get -side-tracked on water baptism 
•and make it look so big to you that you can't see 
much else. Surely when Jesus said, "He that be- 
lieveth and is baptized shall be saved/' He had 
reference to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Re- 
member Paul said in one place, "I thank God I 
baptized none of you save Gains and the house 
of S'tephenas, lest some of you should say I bap- 
tized in my own name, for God sent me not to 
baptize, but to preach the gospel." And in Bph. 
4:5 he wrote, "One Lord, one faith, one bap- 
tism." And then again remember the words of 
John the Baptist where the said, "I indeed baptize 
with water, but one followeth me who shall bap- 
tize you with the Holy Ghost and fire." So dear 
reader don't think we are making light of water 
baptism or are asking you to lay aside the ordi- 
nance of such, but let us be sure we seek the bap- 
tism with the Holy Spirit which is the essential 
baptism unto eternal life. Again we take up the 
observance of the Sabbath day and we turn to the 



154 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Ten Commandments where it reads, "Remember 
the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Now we believe 
that every true Christian will keep the Sabbath 
day holy. Yes, he will tajke pains to watoh him* 
self lest he do the things that might displease God. 
Nevertheless, much controversy has arisen as to 
which day is the right day, Saturday or Sunday. 
And here is where we might get side-tracked, by 
either contending for Sunday or Saturday as the 
case might be. We might go so far in our con- 
tending for the day and pound our brother over 
the back who may not see it just as we do, until 
the real Sabbath spirit of soul rest and commun- 
ion with God has left us ; of course we still have 
the day, but the essential part is the spirit. 

Some years ago a good Christian lady told me 
that God seemed to bless her and a quiet reverent 
spirit would steal over her soul in keeping Satur- 
day for the Sabbath. I answered her, "Why sis- 
ter, that same spirit of rest and sweet communion 
sweeps over my soul in keeping Sunday for the 
Sabbath. " She looked puzzled and said, "How 
can these things be?" While we might suggest 
several reasons, why these things do exist, yet one 
that satisfies me is that "as thy faith, so be it unto 
you." God honors the honest heart, and we must 
keep the day as unto the Lord. Then again all 
the world could not keep the same day at the same 
time. For when it is Saturday in one part of the 
earth, it is Friday in another part, and when we 



SALVATION LIGHT. 155 

would have Saturday 'here it would be Sunday in 
China. So let us be sure we 'have the Sabbath 
spirit even though we may worship on different 
days and be careful not to judge one another in 
the thing wherein God seems to put no difference, 
tout is pleased to bless us both. 

Again another great Bible truth is divine 
healing and I would be surprised as well as shock- 
ed to hear <a Christian say they did not believe in 
this great Bible doctrine. For surely Jesus is 
just as able to heal today as He was when He trod 
the Judean hills. "He is the same yesterday, to- 
day and forever/' and every now and then we 
hear of some one praising God for healing, and 
according to my observation they usually were 
obstinate cases of long standing that were healed. 
But I have also observed that God does not heal 
all people of their bodily diseases even though 
they might seek Him and plead with Him earnest- 
ly. Paul seemed to have prayed three times to 
be healed tout for -some reason we know not, it 
was not God's will. Our heavenly Father seems 
pleased to heal some of His children's diseases. 
Then again He wills to let others suffer, 
not that He might have pleasure in our pain, but 
that after we have suffered awhile He may per- 
fect us in suffering. That is, draw us closer to 
Himself and work in us and through us His sweet 
presence. And tell me if you can how many peo- 
ple have been drawn to a better life, yea, have 



156 SALVATION LIGHT. 

been touched by divine grace because God allow- 
ed one of His children to suffer even unto death. 
But while they were suffering they didn't scold ; 
they found no fault; they seemed to say "even so, 
Father, if this be Thy will, it must be alright. 
Thy will be done." We once roomed with some 
good people who believed in divine bodily healing 
for all people. I asked for some scripture that 
might clear up my mind on the matter and was 
directed to the gospel of Mark 1 :14. "And there 
came a leper to Him beseeching Him and saying 
unto Him, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me 
clean. And Jesus moved with compassion, put 
forth His hand and touched him and saith unto 
him, "I will. Be thou clean." I did not argue 
with my friends in this, but failed to see how Je- 
sus intended to teach by cleansing this poor 
leper, that He intended to heal all sick people of 
their physical ailments. But turning to James 
5:14, "Is any sick among you, let him call for the 
elders of the church ; and let them pray over him, 
anointing him With oil in the name of the Lord. 
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and 
the Lord shall raise him up ; and if he has com- 
mitted sins, they shall be forgiven him." 

Now here is one of the strong scriptures on 
divine healing and as you will notice is addressed 
to the church or in other words to Christians. 
And many folks since this was written even up 
to the present time have taken this comforting 



SALVATION LIGHT. 157 

scripture, have called for the elders of the church, 
have been anointed with oil, 'prayed through and 
were healed. Now in the first line of the 14th 
verse it says, "Is any sick among you." Somehow 
this touches me so forcibly, is any sick among 
you. I wonder are we honoring God when we lay 
aside this teaching? Would to God our ministry 
would preach it more. God would not only heal 
more people, but it wou'ld lead us to a closer walk 
with God. I think it was John Wesley who said 
the reason more people did not receive divine 
healing was because "we as churches grow world- 
ly and lose sight of some of the precious truths of 
God >! s word and our privileges as God's children." 
But referring back to the Scriptures I notice in 
order to get healed we must have the Prayer of 
Faith. And that is the thing that clears my mind 
on divine healing. Now if we live close to our 
Lord and God Wills to heal us, He will also give 
us the prayer of faith whidh will cause us to pray 
in the Holy Ghost and sure enough we are healed. 
But on the other hand if it is His will that we 
suffer, I firmly believe He will withhold the faith 
that leads to our -healing, and herein is my heart 
satisfied on divine healing. We have known of 
folks getting side-tracked on this precious Bible 
truth. We have heard them denounce physicians 
as well as drug stores and make light of the min- 
istry and the way they carried on was enough to 
disgust people and drive them away from salva- 



158 SALVATION LIGHT. 

tion and divine healing. Usually these people 
come and go under the name of holiness folks. 
No wonder some people avoid attending genuine 
holiness meetings especially when they see and 
hear the counterfeit and have a very poor under- 
standing of the genuine. Let us be sure of one 
thing, that we come to Jesus and get a well soul, 
for a well soul in a sick body can get to heaven, 
but a sick soul in a healthy body is doomed to 
eternal despair. 

Another great Bible truth is the second com- 
ing of our Lord. This is a subject I love to study, 
and I have thought more than once that I would 
like to see Him, especially when disappointment 
and trials have come my way and the soul fairly 
sickens because of the pressure brought to bear 
over which we may have no control. As a true 
wife looks for her husband, and as a dutiful child 
looks with eagerness for the return of papa or 
mama, or as the bride looks for her lover, so the 
Christian ofttimes longs for his Lord. If this be 
true, should the thought of the second coming of 
our Lord make us feel uneasy or disturb our 
minds, since it was Jesus Who said, "Let not your 
heart be troubled : ye believe in God, believe also 
in me. In my Father's house are many man- 
sions ; if it were not so, I would have told you. I 
go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and pre- 
pare a place for you, I will come again, and re- 
ceive you unto myself ; that where I am, there ye 



SALVATION LIGHT. 159 

may be also." What comfort to the Christian these 
words of Jesus! How they still the soul «and 
quiet the troubled heart, and what sweet peace 
and assurance sweep over us as we meditate on 
the sweet bye and bye when He will fulfill His 
promise. 

Hence the second coming of our Lord ought 
to foe preached constantly. We do not mean by 
this that every time we meet the subject must be 
given prominence, or even mentioned, but ser- 
mons with conviction and power must be deliver- 
ed from time to time, not as an essential to salva- 
tion but as a means of stirring us up and leading 
us to a better life. We may criticise the Jews for 
killing the man of Galilee but the question comes 
home, "What have I done to make sure my eter- 
nal happiness? Have I done the first works 
which are necessary to meet Him in peace when 
He comes ■?" And this leads to the first step 
which must be given prominence in all our teach- 
ing and preaching, viz: repentance and faith in 
Jesus Christ. Sure'ly repentance means a godly 
sorrow for sins committed, coming to God in faith 
believing, asking Him to forgive us. And when 
we thus come confessing all and making every- 
thing right as near as we can with our f ellowman 
Whom we may have wronged, God will pardon 
our transgressions and give us the witness of the 
Holy Spirit of our acceptance with Himself. 
When this takes place we have no trouble in 



160 SALVATION LIGHT. 

knowing we are a child of God. No wonder we 
love to sing, "Oh, happy day, when Jesus washed 
my sins away." Hence repentance, restitution, 
faith in the Son of God as the Savior of the world 
and the witness of the Holy Spirit to the Father's 
pardoning grace in our hearts, are essential. 
Truths that must toe preached too and exercised 
by every one who really gets saved. But some 
will say, "How about the poor honest heathen 
who are not privileged to listen to God's word?" 
I answer, "Don't worry about that, our Heaven- 
ly Father will take eare of the faithful heathen 
and will not hold them responsible for light they 
do not have." But we who know His will are not 
only responsible for delivering His word to those 
nearby, but we are commissioned to carry it to 
the ends of the earth, so that all heathen may 
know His will and have the privilege of doing it. 
Another great Bible doctrine essential to sal- 
vation is the New Birth. Jesus said to Nicode- 
mus, "Unless a man be born again, he can not 
enter into the Kingdom of God." Hence the 
command, "Ye must be born again." A spiritual 
birth will produce a spiritual man. Peter tells us 
in his first Epistle, 1 :23, "Being born again, not 
of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the 
Word of God whic'h liveth and abideth forever." 
And in the second chapter, second verse he writes 
to the new spiritual children in God's kingdom 
and calls our attention to the fact that "as new 



SALVATION LIGHT. 161 

born babes relish and live on the mother's breast 
even so as new born spiritual babes we are to live 
on the Word of God," "that ye may grow thereby, 
if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. " 
Another great Bible truth essential to salva- 
tion is heart purity. This doctrine is spoken of 
and referred to by different terms, tout all appar- 
ently leading to the one thing, viz. a heart cleans- 
ed from all sin, through consecration and faith 
on the part of the believer and the all-cleansing 
blood applied on the part of the divine God. 
There must be a cleansing of our hearts, a definite 
second work of grace. That great spiritual song 
writer, Charles Wesley, wrote: 

"Breathe, oh breathe thy lovinig spirit, 

Into every troubled breast ; 
Let us all in thee inherit, 

Let us find that second rest." 

I am sorry that some one changed the fourth line 
and made it read, "Let us find that promised 
rest." We like Wesley's way of putting it bet- 
ter. 

Again we Would mention that obedience to 
God and walking in the light as He may give it, 
is necessary for our present fellowship and eter- 
nal happiness. Our heavenly Father may call us 
to do this or that, and happy the Christian that 
obeys God. Let us remember that God never 
calls us to do anything in His kingdom but what 



162 SALVATION LIGHT. 

He is ready to supply what we lack. We remem- 
ber of a certain woman speaking in class meeting 
of being invited to go out in the public street and, 
with others, help sing and pray and invite people 
to come to the church where revival services were 
being conducted. She said when she was asked 
to go, she shrank back. She did not feel she 
could do such a thing, but finally consented and 
as she went God supplied the grace and made it 
easy for her. My dear friend, when you get an 
invitation to do some work in the Master's king- 
dom obey God. You will at the same time give 
your own soul an opportunity to expand and 
grow. Yes, you will be walking in the light and 
the blood of Jesus Christ will keep your heart 
dean. 

Some years ago a company of Salvation Ar- 
my people were holding a street meeting in one 
of our western towns and while one of the women 
was praying a ruffian threw some dirt in her face. 
However she never flinched, simply wiped the 
dirt from her mouth and eyes and kept on pray- 
ing. She was having an audience with God and a 
little dirt from a ruffian didn't seem to break her 
connection with heaven. After the street meet- 
ing was over awful conviction fell on the dirt 
thrower and a few days later he gave his heart to 
Jesus Christ. May God give every one of us as 
leaders and followers a humble heart and willing 
mind so He can use us to His glory and for the 



SALVATION LIGHT. 163 

salvation of souls. Last thought I would impress 
upon your minds, is, when we follow Jesus, we 
can make no mistake. Prosperity or poverty, in 
heart always the same; a clean heart, a clarified 
mind, "if we suffer with Him we shall also reign 
with Him." If we keep His commandments here 
we are sure of His promises over there. Yes, 
some day we will close our eyes in death here but 
open them to eternal life above. 

From my early boyhood days I have had a 
great desire to visit some of the historical places 
of the Civil War. My father was a Union soldier 
and told me some things about a soldier's life and 
the horrors of the battle field. My 'hope of visit- 
ing some of these places was realized a few years 
ago, and in company with my oldest son we start- 
ed for the South. Our first place of interest was 
Chattanooga. Surely God smiled on this part of 
this universe, when He fashioned the mountains 
and valleys in and about Chattanooga. On one 
side are the lofty timber decked mountains, then 
as you look in another direction, you see Mis- 
sionary Ridge, and then lying before you, Chicka- 
mauga and the beautiful Tennessee. I have been 
told there was a time when the Indians fought 
over this beautiful place. Then next the Indian 
and the white man, and last the Blue and the 
Gray. The last place we visited in Chattanooga 
was the National Cemetery. Here lies some four- 
teen thousand dead soldier boys. Then again as 



164 SALVATION LIGHT. 

we tramped over Lookout Mountain and across 
Missionary Ridge and down Antietam's bloody 
lane, I thought of some of the great generals, 
what master minds they had, and how some of 
them led their armies on to victory willing to suf- 
fer with their men. Then as I have thought of 
the awful suffering of the rank and file away from 
home, no soft bed to rest the weary body, of ttimes 
hungry and thirsty, sick and discouraged, home- 
sick and sad, eyes heavy for want of sleep, tramp- 
ing in the scorching sun and in the bitter cold, and 
at last shed their blood for their country's cause. 
Then again, as I viewed their graves in Chatta- 
nooga and Antietam, my heart was greatly stirred 
as I read on government plates the following 
lines : 

The muffled drum, sad roll has beat 

The soldier's last tattoo, 
No more on life's parade s'hall meet 

That brave and fallen few. 

No vision of the morning's strife, 

The warrior's dream alarms, 
No braying horn, no screaming fife 

At dawn, shall call to arms. 

No rumor of the foes advance, 

Now sweeps upon the wind, 
No troubled thought at midnight haunts 

Of loved ones left behind. 



SALVATION LIGHT. 165 

The neighing troops, the flashing blade, 

The -bugle's sterling blast, 
The charge, the dreadful cannonade 

The din and shout are past. 

Rest on embalmed and sainted dead, 

Dear as the blood ye gave. 
No impious footsteps here shall tread 

The herbage of your grave. 

Your own proud land's heroic soil 

Must be your fitter grave, 
She claims from war his richest spoil 

The ashes of the grave. 

On Fame's eternal camping ground 

Their silent tents are spread, 
And glory guards with solemn round 

The bivouac of the dead. 

Then as I have thought of the multitudes of 
men who in other ages were true to their country, 
fought for righteous principles, gave up their 
lives, and now lie beneath the sod, I have also 
thought of another general, one arrayed against 
sin. St. John wrote, "And I saw in the right 
hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written 
within and on the back side, sealed with seven 
seals. And I saw a 'strong angel proclaiming 
with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the 
book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man 
in heaven, or in earth, neither under the earth, 



166 SALVATION LIGHT. 

was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 
And I wept much, because no man was found 
worthy to open and to read the book, neither to 
look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto 
me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of 
Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open 
the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 
And I beheld,, and, lo, in the midst of the throne 
and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the 
elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having 
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven 
Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And 
he came and took the book out of the right hand 
of Him that sat upon the throne. And when he 
had taken the book, the four beasts and four and 
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having 
every one of them harps, and golden vials full of 
odours, which are the prayers of saints. And 
they sung a new song, saying, "Thou art worthy 
to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: 
for thou wast slain, and has redeemed us to God 
by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, 
and people, and nation." And John looked again, 
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white 
horse ; and he that sat upon him was called Faith- 
ful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge 
and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, 
and on his head were many crowns; and he had 
a name written that no man knew but he himself: 
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in 



SALVATION LIGHT. 167 

blood ; and his name is called The Word of God." 
And as I left John my mind turned to the poet : 

The Son of God goes forth to war, 

A kingly crown to gain; 
His blood-red banner streams afar, 

Who follows in His train? 
Who best can drink his cup of woe, 

Triumphant over pain, 
Who patient bears His cross below, 

He follows in His train. 

That martyr first, whose eagle eye, 

Could pierce beyond the grave 
Who saw his Master in the sky ; 

And called on Him to save. 
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue, 

In midst of mortal pain, 
He prayed for them that did the wrong, 

Who follows in His train? 

A noble band, the chosen few, 

On whom the Spirit came; 
Twelve valiant saints, their hope they knew, 

And mocked the cross and flame. 
They met the tyrant's brandished steel, 

The lion's gory mane; 
They bowed their heads the stroke to feel, 

Who fallows in their train? 

A noble army, men and boys, 
The matron and the maid. 



168 SALVATION LIGHT. 

Around the Savior's throne rejoice, 

In robes of light arrayed ; 
They climbed the steep ascent of heaven, 

Through peril, toil, and pain, 
God, to us may grace be given, 

To follow in their train. 

Yes, when I think of the sufferings, hardships, 
and bloodshed of our early fathers, what they en- 
dured in order to establish righteousness in the 
earth, how valiantly they fought to protect their 
wives and little ones from the hands of the op- 
pressor and What awful persecution was theirs as 
they stood true for the right and earnestly con- 
tended for the faith once delivered to the saints, 
and then as I behold one like unto the Son of God 
with lacerated hands and bleeding feet His face 
pale unto death, and yet He prayed, "Father for- 
give them for they know not what they do." I 
also feel like praying, "Father give me the spirit 
of Jesus Christ and help me in this twentieth 
century to stand true as did our fathers, and let 
me have the spirit of divine love that will keep 
me and lead me in the right path." For in one 
sense every one of us are leaders. Someone will 
follow in our footsteps. Hence, let us be careful 
how we live lest we forget and the house we toe- 
long to will be broken up and the church we love 
will become dead and lifeless and the community 
we live in become exceedingly wicked and defiant 



SALVATION LIGHT. 169 

until the God of justice and judgment will move 
upon us and there will be wailing and weeping 
and bitter remorse. Brother, sister, if you are 
called to be a leader be faithful, be true to God. 
If your lot is that of the rank and file, spend 
much time in prayer and in the reading of His 
holy Word. Be sure your hands are clean, your 
heart is pure, and "Let this mind be in you which 
was also in Christ Jesus." Am'en. 



CHAPTER XVII. 
The Second Coming. 

The Book of Revelation, 1st chapter, 7th verse. 

"Behold he cometh with clouds ; and every eye 
shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him : 
and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because 
of Him, even so, Amen." 

This passage of Scripture teaches us that Je- 
sus is coming again, for just as truly as He came 
the first time, just so surely will He come the 
second time. And just as truly as holy men of 
old moved by the Holy Ghost foretold of His first 
coming, just so surely have holy men in centuries 
gone by, been inspired by the Holy Ghost to fore- 
tell His second coming. Now I do not know what 
nearby or remote tomorrow my Lord is coming, 
but I do know that before He mounted the clouds 
of Heaven and rode back to glory, He said, "If 
I go away, I will come again and receive you unto 
myself, that where I am there ye may be also." 
It doesn't make so much difference as to whether 
our Lord will come in this or some future gen- 
eration, but it is a serious and all important mat* 
ter for me to consider, and that is, to make ready 
and ~he prepared to meet Him when He does come. 
Now some people say that the second coming of 
the Lord has reference to death, that is, when the 

170 



SALVATION LIGHT. 171 

spirit and soul have parted from the body and 
we take the body to the cemetery and cover it 
with mother-earth. Now they say that is what 
is meant by His second coming. Again another 
class of folks say the second coming of our Lord 
has reference to the Day of Pentecost. When the 
disciples in obedience to the words of Jesus Christ 
met in Jerusalem, and as they were gathered with 
one accord and were praying and supplicating 
and waiting for the promise of the Father, all of 
a sudden there was a mighty rushing wind from 
Heaven and the sound of it filled the whole house 
and cloven tongues sat upon each one of them, 
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. 
Now they say this is what is meant by His second 
coming, but since many died before He came the 
first time, and many died while He was on earth, 
and many have died since He went back to the 
Father, it could not possibly refer to death. And 
as the prophecy of His second coming was writ- 
ten before He came the first time, and also after 
He did come, we see how foolish and unscript- 
ural such theories remain. Death is a fact and 
a reality, and so was the Day of Pentecost, when 
the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost, and 
so it will be a reality some day when He will come 
back to judge this world and give every man His 
just dues. John while on the Isle of Patmos 
wrote, "The revelation of Jesus Christ which God 
gave unto Him and sent and signified it by His 



172 SALVATION LIGHT. 

angel unto His servant John, who bore record of 
the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ 
and of all things that he saw, Messed is he that 
readeth and they that hear the words of this 
prophecy and keep thou the things that are writ- 
ten therein for the time is at hand John 

unto the iseven churches which are in Asia, 
grace be unto you and peace from Him which is 
and which was, and which is to come." So the 
angel of the Lord tells John in the first chapter 
of Revelation that Jesus is coming again and John 
notifies the seven churches to read and keep the 
word of God, for the time is at hand. For in 
keeping and doing His will, they would be blessed 
by Him Which is and which was, and which is to 
come. 

Again the apostle Jude takes up His second 
coming by quoting Enoch the seventh from Adam 
when he said, "'The Lord will come with ten thou- 
sand of His saints to execute judgment on all and 
convince all that are ungodly among them of all 
their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly com- 
mitted, and of all their hard speeches which un- 
godly sinners have spoken against Him." Men 
may make fun, ridicule and laugh at the thought 
of His second coming, but I would always rather 
believe a Holy God than an unholy sinner. 

Again the apostle Peter mentions His second 
coming, for in the second epistle, third chapter, 
He says, "This second epistle I now write unto you 



SALVATION LIGHT. 173 

in both which I stir up your pure minds by way 
of remembrance, that ye may be mindful of the 
words spoken by the holy prophets and of us the 
apostles of our Lord and Savior, knowing that in 
the last days shall come scoffers and saying, where 
is the promise of His coming. For since the Fa- 
thers fell asleep all things continue as they were 
from the beginning. But this they are willingly 
ignorant of, that by the word of God the Heavens 
were of old and the earth out of the water and 
in the water. But the Heavens and the earth 
which are kept by the same word reserved unto 
fire against the day of judgment and perdition of 
ungodly men. But beloved, be not ignorant of 
this one thing that one day with the Lord is as a 
thousand years, and <a thousand yeans as one day. 
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise as 
some men count slackness, but is longsuffering, 
not willing that any should perish but that all 
should come to repentance. But the day of the 
Lord will come." 

Again the Apostle James unfolds the same 
truth. In the fifth chapter, He tells how in the 
last days men will heap up great riches, robbing 
the laborer of his rightful wages, even killing the 
just. No doubt there never was a time when cov- 
etousness was more rank than at the present day. 
It seems that a few men comparatively hold the 
power in their hands, and no matter how much 
of God's 'blessings on earth they are intent on con- 



174 SALVATION LIGHT. 

trolling the common blessing of life. Now James 
doesn't say "use violence," "commit murder," or 
"go into anarchy," No ! but he says "be ye there- 
fore patient brethren unto the coming of the 
Lord." "Behold the husbandman waiteth for the 
precious fruit of the earth with long patience, 
waiting for it until he receives the early and 
latter rain. Be ye also patient: establish your 
hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." 
Again when Paul wrote to Titus, he mentions 
(the second coming of our Lord. For he said, 
"The grace of God that 'bringeth salvation hath 
appeared to all men, teaching us that denying un- 
godliness and worldly lust, we should live so- 
berly, righteously and godly, in this presert world 
looking for that blessed hope and the glorious ap- 
appearing of the great God and of our Savior 
Jesus Christ." When Paul was nearing the end 
of his earthly career, he looked forward with 
confidence and said, "The time of my departure 
is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have 
finished my course. I have kept the faith, hence- 
forth there is laid up for me a crown of right- 
eousness which the Lord the righteous Judge will 
give unto me at that day and not unto me only, 
but unto all them also that love His appearing." 
And so we are to live a sober, righteous and godly 
life here and now. The Scriptures say in this 
present world, that when He shall come, we may 
have confidence and not be ashamed before Him 



SALVATION LIGHT. 175 

at His coming. While Jesus did not tell us the 
day nor the hour when He would come, yet He 
did tell us of some of the conditions and things 
that would come to pass before and just prior to 
His second coming. For He said, "As the days 
of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the 
Son of man .be ; they were eating and drinking, 
and given in marriage." They bought, they sold, 
in fact they lived as though no judgment was 
pending. But when the ark was completed and 
the time was ripe, Jehovah shut Noah in the ark, 
and suddenly an awful destruction befell the sin 
cursed multitudes, having wilfully refused to re- 
pent of their sins and get right with God. Now 
Jesus said, "As the days of Noah were, so shall 
it be before His second coming." We have heard 
some preaching how this world is going to be 
better until finally all will be saved, but according 
to my understanding of the Scriptures that time 
will 'never come until the saved have been caught 
up with the Lord in the air and the wicked de- 
stroyed with fire and brimstone. For Jesus said, 
"As it rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and 
Gomorrah, so shall it be when He comes again. 
And Paul writing to Timothy 2nd letter, 3rd chap- 
ter, says, "In the last days perilous times sdull 
come, for men shall be lovers of themselves, cov- 
etous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient 
to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural 
affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incon- 



176 SALVATION LIGHT. 

tinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure 
more than ilovers of God, having a form of god- 
liness, but denying the power thereof." And 
He adds, "From such turn away." Friends, let 
us awake and study the Word and be sure that we 
have something more than just the form of god- 
liness. And let us see to it at once that we have 
the Holy Ghost dwelling in our hearts and re- 
member the words of our Lord when He said, 
"Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost 
is come upon you." Surely the word of God and 
the seemingly multitudes of careless and indiffer- 
ent folks, both in and out of the church ought to 
startle us and help us to see that we are living 
in the last days. In the twenty-fourth chapter 
of Matthew Jesus said, "And this gospel of the 
kingdom shall be preached in all this world as a 
witness to all nations and then shall the end 
come." He included the preaching of repentance, 
faith, restitution, heaven, hell, the judgment, for- 
giveness of sins, sanctification of believers, the 
resurrection, eternal punishment for the wicked 
and eternal life for the righteous. We hear a 
great deal of preaching which is good as far as 
character building is concerned, but it doesn't 
seem to bring deep and pungent conviction and 
people are not startled and brought to their knees, 
crying out, "What must I do to be saved?" I am 
anxious that my loved ones, my friends, my ene- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 177 

mies, yea all people everywhere shall hear men 
and women preach of much faith and full of the 
Holy Ghost, warning them to flee from the wrath 
to come and turn their backs on a giddy, friv- 
olous and world-loving crowd and pray through 
until they get a salvation from the skies that 
makes them ashamed of the world, rather than 
God, and lovers of real genuine true holiness folks 
rather than despisers of those th?.t are good and 
lovers of God's Kingdom and Church, rather than 
lodges, Sunday base ball and picture shows. Be- 
hold He cometh ! 

Again we take another step into the text and no- 
tice it not only says, "He is coming again, but it 
describes the manner of His coming." For it says, 
"Behold, He cometh with clouds." If one of our 
earthly friends were to write us and tell us they 
were coming on such a train or perhaps in an 
automobile, or in a buggy or horse back, we would 
look for them in just the kind of vehicle or man- 
ner in which they said they would come. But 
circumstances might change their plans and they 
might come in altogether a different way intended 
and as informed us. But when the Scripture 
states, "He cometh with clouds," He will come 
just that way. He will not change, alter or depart 
from His own word. We do not understand that 
He will come with the clouds of wind and rain 
filled with mist, lightning and thunder, but the 
word says, "He cometh with the clouds of Heav- 



178 SALVATION LIGHT. 

en." When Jesus Christ and His holy angels 
break forth from the everlasting hills of God, 
with the glory of the Father, the sight will be be- 
yond the imaginations of any human mind. The 
power and glory of that occasion will be stupen- 
dous in its magnitude and will hush into silence 
every opposer and fighter of God and His people. 

Again, He is not only coming with clouds, but 
Isaiah tells us in the 66th chapter, 15th verse, 
1 'Behold the Lord cometh with fire, and with His 
chariots like a Whirlwind. He -will render His 
anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of 
fire." This will not be like unto a Fourth of July 
celebration, but will bring into judgment and 
mete out punishment and desolation to unsaved 
sinners by a just and longsuffering God. But, 
friend, while you still have time and opportunity 
and while God is still holding off, won't you come 
and give Him your heart, and by His grace, help 
somebody else to escape the awful destruction 
of the wicked ? 

Again, He is not only coming with clouds an& 
with fire, but He is coming clothed in His heav- 
enly dress and surrounded with ten thousand of 
His saints. In the 7th chapter of Daniel, Daniel 
wrote, "I saw the ancient of days; the hairs of 
His head were like pure wool ; His garments were 
white as snow; His throne like the fiery flame; 
His chariot wheels like the burning fire; a fiery 
flame came forth from before Him, thousands 



SALVATION LIGHT. 179 

ministered unto Him and ten thousand times ten 
thousand stood before Him, and the judgment was 
set and the books were opened." Well, He is com- 
ing clothed in the white garments of righteous- 
ness, and if I expect to minister unto Him, I must 
secure and wear a heavenly dress : For when He 
came the first time, He was despised and rejected 
of men, but when He comes the second time, the 
ungodly will be rejected by Him and drawn be- 
fore the judgment seat of Christ. Sinner, you 
may think you are playing your part well, you 
may be able to pull the wool over your wife's eyes ; 
ungodly woman, you may think you are fooling 
your husband; law breaker, you may stand 
in with some loose officers of the law 
and commit crime after crime ; murderer, embez- 
zler, hypocrite, child destroyer, luke-warm and 
careless, I Warn you. Quit sin ! Confess it here 
and now. I know it is a hard thing to confess, 
but Jesus will help you, the Holy Ghost will show 
you what to do. It will be an awful thing to 
stand before the Son of God with nothing to hide 
•behind. Every secret will then be revealed, for 
we are informed that God keeps books and every ( 
act is recorded, and just as sure as there is a 
God there will be a judgment day. 

Again, we not only notice that He is coming 
with clouds and with fire in His heavenly dress, 
and with ten thousand of His saints, but the 
Scriptures say, "He will come suddenly." Paul 



180 SALVATION LIGHT. 

in writing to the 1st Thess. 5 :2 said, "Brethren, 
you know perfectly that the day of the Lord will 
come as a thief in the 'night, for when they say 
peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh 
upon them as travail on a woman with child." And 
Jesus Himself in Matt. 25, said, "As the lightning 
cometh out of the east and shineth unto the west, 
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." 
Just before His second coming there may be a 
universal peace and quietness settle over the na- 
tions of the earth. This may run for a number 
of years and men will say we are living in good 
times. Surely this is the golden age. The church- 
es will be lukewarm, and as a rule both preachers 
and people will say, "Where is the promise of His 
coming?" In fact, His second coming will seem 
so far off that the churches will grow careless, 
when suddenly like a thief in the night, as a flash 
of lightning in a clear sky the Son of God will 
appear with ten thousand of His saints and there 
will be time no more. Luke says, "As a snare 
will it come upon all them that dwell upon the face 
of the earth." 

Again we notice He is not only coming with 
clouds and fire, clothed in His heavenly dress, com- 
ing suddenly, but He is coming in judgment. You 
may have been smooth enough to step through 
your city and community and pass as an honest 
man, when the truth of the matter is, if the peo- 
ple knew, you would be behind the bars and per- 



SALVATION LIGHT. 181 

haps serve a term in the penitentiary. But you 
will have to meet that thing at the judgment. 
Your secret sins, the date you made with such 
•and such a one, you may be laughing in your 
sleeves now how well you worked it, tout you'll 
have to meet that thing at the judgment,. Those 
stocks you sold and those promises you made, 
when you knew you were lying. But you will 
have to meet that thing at the judgment, and re- 
member that while it is appointed for men once 
to die, but after that the judgment. 

Again we notice that He is not only coming 
with clouds and fire clothed in His heavenly dress, 
coming suddenly and In judgment, but He is com- 
ing to separate forever the righteous from the 
wicked and give every man his just dues. Money, 
talent, education, influence, gifts of fine oratory 
or oily speeches won't do you any good then. 
There will be a pay day when He comes and every 
man will receive according to what he has done. 
In Matt. 25th chapter beginning with the 31st 
verse, "When the Son of man shall come in His 
glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall 
He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before 
Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall 
separate them one from another, as a shepnerd 
divideth his sheep from the goats. And He shall 
set His sheep on His right hand, the goats on His 
left, then shall the King say unto them on His 
right hand, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, in- 



182 SALVATION LIGHT. 

herit T;he Kingdom prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world ; for I was hungered and 
ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me 
drink ; I was a stranger and ye took me in ; naked, 
and ye clothed me"; then shall the righteous 
answer Him: "When saw we Thee a hungered 
and fed thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink; 
when saw Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or 
naked and clothed Thee, or when saw we Thee 
sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?" And 
the King shall answer and say unto them, "Ver- 
ily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it 
unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have 
done it unto me." Then shall He say also unto 
them on the left hand, "Depart from me, ye 
cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil 
and his angels, for I was hungered and ye gave me 
no meat, I wa/s thirsty, and ye gave me no drink, 
I was a stranger and ye took me not in, naked 
and ye clothed me not, sick and in prison and ye 
visited me not." Then shall they also answer 
Him saying, "Lord, when saw we Thee a hun- 
gered, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked or 
sick, or in prison and did not minister unto Thee?" 
Then shall He answer them saying, "Verily I say 
unto you, in as much as ye did it not to one of the 
least of these, ye did it not unto me." And these 
shall go away into everlasting punishment; but 
the righteous into life eternal." 

Again we take another step in the text and 



SALVATION LIGHT. 183 

notice it not only tells us that He is coming again 
and describes the manner of His coming, but it 
says that every eye shall see Him and they also 
that pierced Him. When He came the first time 
multitudes in and about Jerusalem saw Him wTiile 
He dwelt amongst men, but Jkhis Was only a few 
people. When we come to consider that when He 
comes the second time every eye shall see Him, 
from Adam down through all ages, for before 
Him shall all nations of the earth be gathered and 
every eye shall see Him. The people that do not 
have family prayers and don't ask the blessing at 
the table, and don't read their Bibles and keep 
away from the revival services, and do not like 
the holiness folks, are the kind Who don't like to 
talk about His second coming now and won't want 
to see Him when He does come. But the text 
says, "Every eye shall see Him." People will call 
on the mountains and rocks to fall on them and 
hide them from the face of the Lamb, but some- 
how the mountains and rocks will not fall. They 
will try to look some other way, even bend their 
heads downward, but their 'heads won't bend. 
They will try and close their eyes, but some super- 
natural power will come over them and the eyes 
won't dose. They will have to look at Him and 
they also that pierced Him. Some may hold the 
idea that that means the Roman soldiers that 
pierced Him as He hung on the cross. Of course 
they too will see Him. But every man and worn- 



184 SALVATION LIGHT. 

an, boy and girl, who have heard the gospel mes- 
sage and wilfully rejected >a blood redemption, 
and thereby have trodden under foot the blood of 
Jesus Christ, and have called it an unholy thing, 
Heb. 10:29, these shall have pierced Him in a 
spiritual sense, and no wonder the very thought 
of His coming is unpleasant to them. H\s actual 
coming will so terrorize them that they would 
rather be buried under mountains and rocks than 
to look at Him. But, brother, sister, friend ! You 
who may read these lines and still have time and 
mercy, I beg of you to flee from the wrath to 
come. Get salvation and get it now ; get the kind 
that will burn out sin and love holiness, and get 
that which will give you an inheritance among 
them that are sanctified by God the Father and 
preserved in Jesus Christ. For this is the kind 
that God gives and will stand the test when Jesus 
comes. Brother, when this old earth begins to 
fall and crumble, when great mountains of fire 
will come rolling this way, when the sun will be- 
come Mack as sackcloth of hair, when the moon 
no more will give her light; when the stars will 
have ceased to shine, when the Heavens begin to 
rain fire and brimstone, and the bowels of this 
earth begin to vomit out great and awful destruc- 
tion, when ocean liners and railroad trains and 
government bonds and palaces royal are on fire, 
you wouldn't give thirty cents for them all, you 
couldn't sell them if you had them, for 2nd Peter 



SALVATION LIGHT. 185 

3:10-11 tells us, "The earth and the works that 
are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that 
all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of 
persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation 
and godliness." And brother, you will have to have 
a holy heart in order to carry on a holy conver- 
sation. Better come to Jesus, let Him fix you up 
and give you a clean heart and then when He 
comes, you can meet Him and see Him as He is 
and thank God there won't be any condemnation 
hanging over you. 

Again we take another step in the text and 
notice it not only tells us He is coming again, de- 
scribing the manner of His coming and telling 
who shall see Him, but it says that all kindreds 
of the earth shall wail because of Him. Well, 
what are they wailing for? Didn't they know He 
was coming? Oh yes, they had heard that all 
their lives. Didn't they know that God would 
bring to pass every prophecy of His word? Oh 
yes, they could not find one Scripture that hadn't 
been fulfilled just as God said it would be. Didn't 
they know that Noah preached to the people of 
his day one hundred and twenty years and they 
repented not and were all destroyed? Oh yes, 
they knew that. Well, didn't they hear how that 
as the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of 
the Son of man be, and as it rained fire and brim- 
stone on Sodom and Gemorrah, so shall it also 
be at the coming of Jesus the second time? Oh 



186 SALVATION LIGHT. 

yes, they all heard that, but the sad part of it all, 
they treated it as a joke. They laughed and made 
fun and deliberately chose rather to live in sin, 
have their own way than to repent and get right 
with God. Now I want you to notice that before 
this awful destruction overtakes all kindreds of 
the earth, and before this awful wailing and 
gnashing of teeth takes place, something else is 
going to happen. Turn to Matt. 2:40-41, "Then 
shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken 
and the other left. Two women shall be grind- 
ing at the mill, the one shall be taken, the other 
left." God is going to take from this earth His 
people and that will include all the children who 
have not reached the age of accountability. They 
will be caught up in a mysterious way. Paul says, 
"In the twinkling of an eye." It will be done un- 
beknown at the time to the unsaved, and the 
crowd that is wailing is the crowd that is left 
behind. We have heard Evangelist Milton Will- 
iam© explain Matt. 24:40-41 something like this: 
"Two men shall be working in the field, we will 
say father and son. The father is a saved man 
and the son is not. They are both in the field, 
the son on account of being younger in years and 
more active, is a little in advance of his father. 
Finally he turns around to see his father but his 
father is gone. He doesn't think anything of it 
at the time, supposing his father had slipped aside 
or perhaps gone over to the house. But the father 



SALVATION LIGHT. 187 

doesn't come back. He begins to feel alarmed and 
hurries over home, but father and mother are 
both gone. The unsaved school teacher having 
charge of the primary class will come to school 
as usual. The time to call the children into line 
has come, the clock strikes nine, but no children. 
The unsaved mother will steal into the becl room 
to see if precious little Johnny or sweet little 
Mary has awakened, but precious little Johnny 
and sweet little Mary are gone. That ungodly 
husband will come home; the wife whom he has 
flattered and yet deceived, he so false and yet 
she so true, will have gone. He will never see 
her any more and this will be done in such a mys- 
terious way by God Almighty, that the kindred 
of the earth won't know it until it is done. 'And 
then will come to pass such a wailing and bitter 
remorse. Men's hearts will fail them because of 
fear, and for looking for those things that ^hall 
come to pass upon the earth.' Luke 21 :26. And 
worst of all the Holy Ghost will have taken His 
flight, the door will be shut and the day of grace 
and redemption will be over." 

Dear reader, today as you hear His voice, 
harden not your heart. Don't let the devil cheat 
you out of eternal life. Come to Jesus and get 
salvation before the day of grace is over. 

Again we take the last step in the text and 
notice He is not only coming again, describing 
the manner of His coming, and who shall see Him 



188 SALVATION LIGHT. 

and all kindreds of the earth shall wail 'because 
of Him, but it says, "Even so, Amen." Brother, 
when God says, "Even so, Amen," that settles it. 
You might just as well give up; these words so 
awful and yet (so true. But how glad I am that 
I settled this matter some years ago, and what a 
comfort to the soul and rest to the mind to know 
that I am ready to meet Him in peace. Paul in 
writing to the Hebrews 10:37, said, "But yet a 
little while and He that shall come will come and 
will not tarry." When prosperity smiles upon us 
and friends greet us by the score, when the sun 
shines brightly and sickness and trouble seem to 
haunt us no more; when all this world with its 
pleasures so sweet, remember dear brother, the 
Lord you must meet. 

"Behold I come as a thief ; blessed is he that 
watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk 
naked and they see his shame." Rev. 16:15. 



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